In an attempt to prevent against ticket fraud, Walt Disney World is replacing the geometry readers (identifies geometry and shape of fingers) all four Orlando theme parks with fingerprint identification devices.
According to Disney, the devices don’t collect fingerprints they “take an image, identify a series of points, measure the distance between those points, and turn it into a numerical value.”
They went on to say that the scanned information is “independent of all of our other systems” and “the system purges it 30 days after the ticket expires or is fully utilized.”
Still, many privacy advocates are upset with Disney’s lack of transparency over the issue. There are no signs posted regarding the scanning, the information being collected, or how that information is being used. Furthermore, you can object to the scanning and present a photo id as an alternative – but that option is also not advertised. The only way to obtain information is to ask the attendants at the entrances.
Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center sums it up best: “If they maintain that data, it can be used for anything. If law enforcement shows up, they can gain access to it.” In fact, Disney’s privacy policy says that it may disclose personal information when doing so can help “protect your safety or security.”
Welcome to the new America folks. Even Mickey Mouse is spying on you.
