Australia Post test new technology
Australia Post is introducing new technology that will enable staff at its 4443 retail outlets to take fingerprints, biometric scans and digital signatures from customers applying for bank accounts, passports and other services, reports the Herald Sun. The article continues:
The Government-owned corporation is secretly testing the Big Brother technology at 25 outlets after its directors approved funding for the project at a March board meeting.
Documents seen by the Herald Sun show Australia Post plans to install the data capture equipment at 375 outlets by the end of June followed by another 400 in 2011.
Australia Post spokesman Alex Twomey confirmed fingerprinting capabilities would be introduced over the next two years and that staff would be trained in protocols for storing and transmitting customer information.
“Fingerprint information will be stored for six hours at the outlet and then transferred for storage at a central Australia Post database,” he said. “Under agency agreements, we would then be required to wipe the information after it was sent to government departments or other corporate clients.”
