Editing Biometrics (section)

===Proposed soft biometrics===
[[Soft biometrics]] are understood as '''not strict biometrical''' recognition practices that are proposed in favour of identity cheaters and stealers.

Traits are physical, behavioral or adhered human characteristics that have been derived from the way human beings normally distinguish their peers (e.g. height, gender, hair color). They are used to complement the identity information provided by the primary biometric identifiers. Although soft biometric characteristics lack the distinctiveness and permanence to recognize an individual uniquely and reliably, and can be easily faked, they provide some evidence about the users identity that could be beneficial. In other words, despite the fact they are unable to individualize a subject, they are effective in distinguishing between people. Combinations of personal attributes like gender, race, eye color, height and other visible identification marks can be used to improve the performance of traditional biometric systems.<ref>Ratha, N. K., J. H. Connell, and R. M. Bolle. (2001). "Enhancing security and privacy in biometrics based authentication systems". ''IBM Systems Journal'' 40(3): 614–634.</ref> Most soft biometrics can be easily collected and are actually collected during enrollment. Two main ethical issues are raised by soft biometrics.<ref>Mordini E, Ashton H (2012), "The Transparent Body – Medical Information, Physical Privacy and Respect for Body Integrity'". In Mordini E, Tzovaras D (eds), [https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789400738911 ''Second Generation Biometrics: the Ethical and Social Context''. Berlin: Springer-Verlag] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025115/https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789400738911 |date=16 February 2018 }}, 2057–83</ref> First, some of soft biometric traits are strongly cultural based; e.g., skin colors for determining ethnicity risk to support racist approaches, biometric sex recognition at the best recognizes gender from tertiary sexual characters, being unable to determine genetic and chromosomal sexes; soft biometrics for aging recognition are often deeply influenced by ageist stereotypes, etc. Second, soft biometrics have strong potential for categorizing and profiling people, so risking of supporting processes of stigmatization and exclusion.<ref>Mordini E (2013) ''Biometrics''. In Henk A. M. J. ten Have, Bert Gordijn (eds) ''Handbook of Global Bioethics'' Berlin: Springer, 341–356</ref>