Grocery store goes to fingerprint payments

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com | Posted: March 4, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern | © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

[Bobby777]

Piggly Wiggly debuts feature, privacy expert slams new technology

The Piggly Wiggly grocery chain has announced it will begin offering a high-tech payment feature allowing customers in several stores to pay using their fingerprints.

With a touch of the finger to a light-sensitive pad, patrons will be able to pay for their groceries, provided they have an account in the store's system that can be debited, reported the Columbia, S.C., State.

The paper says stores in Columbia and Charleston are set to install the technology.

According to Pay By Touch, the San Francisco-based firm whose product is being used, the system takes 10 seconds to OK a payment by fingerprint.

Customer Karen Seymore is open to using the technology, the State reports.

"Not that it takes a lot of time to scan a debit card, but the finger scan would be more convenient," said Seymore, 32. "I'd just want to make sure the information is secure and couldn't get out to someone wanting to do damage."

Pay By Touch claims customers' personal information is stored in a secure database and cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. The company says other stores that have utilized the technology find three-fourths of their customers sign up to use the fingerprint system.

Many privacy activists, however, oppose fingerprint payment technology. Katherine Albrecht is founder and director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering.

"We're extremely opposed to it," she told WND. "Of all forms of security, fingerprints are perhaps the least secure."

Albrecht explained research that has been done to show how a mold of a fingerprint can be made that then can easily be used to make a gelatin print. The fake print can be fit over someone's finger to be used fraudulently in a scanner.

"Why would you pick something [for security purposes] that you leave everywhere?" she asked, referring to fingerprints.

Albrecht also says fingerprinting is one small step away from embedded chips being used for payment. She says her organization is opposed to any sort of technology that can be used to track shoppers.

"When you eliminate cash, you eliminate anonymity," she explained, saying any kind of technology that tracks purchases can be used by governments to control food supplies.

According to Albrecht, an independently owned Thriftway store in Seattle was the first to use fingerprint payment technology about a year ago. Kroger then followed suit.

[Bobby777]

will that be in the forehead or the right hand? ...

[Bobby777]

seems techonologically feasible these days ... of course this isn't it ...

http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=NASB&passage=Revelation+13:16-18

[yonif]

Remember Back to the Future, when in 2015 you have Biff's grandpa pay the Taxi with his fingerprint?

[Bobby777]

you know I don't remember the 2nd one as much (never saw the 3rd) ... but I saw the 1st one too many times ... I'll have to check them out ...

seems inevitable cash and coin will go away ... it takes money to make money (hehe) and with debit refill cards and regular debit / credit cards it's just a stepping stone ... all payments / debits are going to go 100% electronic ...

[longtermmemmory]

Will this lead to gummy bear control?

A japanese student used gummy bears to thwart a figerprint security system.

Will some crack head chop off someones thumb and go gorcerty shopping.

dumb idea.

[yonif]

I also believe that in the near future not only will everything be done electronically, there will also be a phase out of actual phsyical cash, and in addition to that our fingerprints or retna markings will basically be used for anything from cash, to identification, travel, taking out library books, renting a movie, using a pay phone etc. It will all be under one roof.

[Bobby777]

Gummi Bears? that's good movie candy for sure! LOL ...

I would have to imagine the inevitable implantable chip or bar coding would be the ultimate method ... I worked with bar code technology ... you could certainly see how it could be used to represent an account number ...

[Bobby777]

13 years ago at my college you could buy candy bars, potato chips and sodas out of vending machines with the university debit card ... yes, I'm saying all physical cash will be collected or deemed unusable after a certain date ...

when that will be, I don't know of course ... but only in the last 20 years or so has it been feasible ...

[Future Useless Eater]

>>...fingerprints are perhaps the least secure." Albrecht explained research that has been done to show how a mold of a fingerprint can be made that then can easily be used to make a gelatin print. The fake print can be fit over someone's finger to be used fraudulently in a scanner.

That lady is soooooooooooooo full of @#$%!
Trying to defeat a fingerprint system would be MUCH MUCH harder than our current system! These people are MOSTLY AFRAID it will actually cut down on welfare fraud!

Like people claiming welfare under FALSE IDENTITIES, or MULTIPLE IDENTITIES. The parasites and criminals lining up at our public trough will have a FIT over this, so it will obviously not pass....

Its a GOOD IDEA though!!!

I was in the grocery store in a lane parallel to a big lady buying 2 carts full of stuff. She couldn't remember the correct PIN number for the welfare card she was using, so she had to CELLPHONE the REAL OWNER of the welfare card, and ask "Tell me again, what is the correct PIN number for YOUR card?"

[Future Useless Eater]

We all know IDENTITY THEFT is the most rapidly growing crime... I wonder how often Identity Theft is used to
steal from the welfare system?

[WaterDragon]

The key is 'choice.' Stores that don't offer a choice should be boycotted.

[Cultural Jihad]

Its a GOOD IDEA though!!!

And also it will be a boon for freedom. All the standing in line and waiting we do today, whether it's in the grocery store or the airline terminal, is based upon someone's need to ask "Who are you? Should I trust you?"

[American in Israel]

The Bank system is in place and all the bugs are worked out. Now all they need is to swap the readers, instead of swiping your card, just swipe your hand. Just a co-inky-dink I am sure, after all, how could a guy 2000 years ago predict this so accurately?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

First the Pinellas County School Bus system fingerprinting kids all the way down to kindergarden, and now this. Count me out of ever shopping at Piggly Wiggly again.

[American in Israel]

"Not that it takes a lot of time to scan a debit card, but the finger scan would be more convenient," said Seymore, 32. "I'd just want to make sure the information is secure and couldn't get out to someone wanting to do damage."

Slavery in the name of convenience...

[American in Israel]

A japanese student used gummy bears to thwart a figerprint security system.

Future statement, "Well the system worked, but... What we need is a chip implant, something really secure..."

[Bobby777]

agreed ... 2000 years ago, no one could imagine how:

1) Israel could resurrect as a nation - they have

2) No man could buy or sell without a mark - now it's possible

3) A war could start that could destroy all life on Earth - Nuclear, Chemical and Biological now possible

4) Jerusalem would be the focal point of the world - Now it is

5) The Gospel of Christ could reach every corner of the Earth - Now it has (not every person, but every nation)

etc. etc. etc.

[endthematrix]

Re: That lady is soooooooooooooo full of @#$%!

In another article..."If Hitler had access to this technology, there would not be a whole lot of Jewish people alive today. This is the ultimate form of power," Mrs. Albrecht said.

She has been the ONLY vocal opponent of RFID besides Christian doomsayers. Remember the Wal-Mart and Gillette? She is right. The STATE wants nothing less than total control and the tools are being rammed through with little or no debate.

Security? She said: "How can we trust these people with securing sensitive consumer information if they can't even secure their own website?"

Who among you have nothing to hide?

[Mo1]

Ummm .. I don't think a lot of people will be signing up for this one

[Prodigal Son]

5) The Gospel of Christ could reach every corner of the Earth - Now it has (not every person, but every nation)

Hmmm. Well, I take it the message didn't sit too well with the Saudis.