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by tw04 3489 days ago
Who exactly has been storing fingerprints centrally? I know plenty of devices that store them locally, but have not seen one phoning it home.
2 comments

The EU is planning to. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1247_en.htm:

"The proposed system stores alphanumeric and biometric data (a combination of four fingerprints and the facial image). [...] The System is composed of a central database connected to national entry points."

If/when this comes to be, that database will probably be both well-protected and an incredibly tempting attack target.

Governments have been storing biometric data for decades. I was asking which private company has been doing so - as that is what was being alluded to.

*more to the point, the only way I see a government who stores biometric data being an issue WRT security: the government is after you (in which case they're likely getting what they want anyway), or it's a targeted attack from a foreign government (in which case biometric theft is the least of your concerns).

Few examples: USICS/CBP/DHS (not sure who among them maintains finger print db) in the USA. UIDAI in India.