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Unlike traditional passwords, unlocking with biometric data can be used without the consent of the device owner.
Biometric authentication, which allows the unlocking of smartphones with facial recognition or fingerprintshas become a common feature of modern devices.
However, digital rights advocates warn that the same technology that seems futuristic can also expose users to legal and security risks personal, particularly when access to a device can be forced without consent.
In the United States, courts have generally ruled that constitutional protections prevent law enforcement authorities from compelling individuals to disclose passwords or access codes. However, these same protections often do not apply to biometric datasuch as fingerprints or facial recognition.
As a result, authorities may be able to force a person to unlock a device using their biometric data in certain circumstances. This legal distinction has led organizations defending press freedom and civil liberties to advise journalists and activists to disable biometric unlocking and using passwords when dealing with sensitive information.
The risks are not limited to people in high-profile or politically sensitive positions. Security experts note that biometric capabilities can be explored in everyday situations. There are reports of people unlocking their partners’ cell phones while they sleep, as well as cases where criminal groups force victims to unlock devices with fingerprints or facial recognition to gain access to cryptocurrency wallets and bank apps, says .
Even non-criminal scenarios raise concern: Parents complain about children using their parents’ face or fingerprint while they sleep to bypass screen time restrictions and access the internet at night.
Unlike a password, biometric identifiers cannot be changed if compromised. If someone gains physical access to a user’s face or fingerprint, they can unlock the device and access messages, photos, banking applications and personal data. This makes biometric security highly dependent on physical security.
Privacy experts say users who believe they are at greater risk can take simple steps to improve their security. Permanently disable facial recognition or fingerprint unlocking requires the use of a password whenever the cell phone is accessed, eliminating the possibility of involuntary biometric unlocking. Although less convenient, passwords are protected by stronger legal safeguards in many jurisdictions.
For users who do not wish to abandon biometrics completely, experts recommend temporarily disable it in sensitive situations. Restarting your smartphone automatically disables biometric unlocking until the password is entered, providing a quick reset of security. Activists and journalists often use this method before crossing borders, participating in protests, or entering environments where devices may be searched or seized.
