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Comment by sylware | Hacker News Reader

huh? In my country, everybody is registered in several administration databases with enough data to re-id you anywhere, anytime, and they even have biometric data (usually your finger prints) and medical data (they know where you have scars, and have probably some DNA infos).

In the information age, ppl have to be sure their administration and corpos are using this power sanely for the Right(TM) stuff or things will turn to ...

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The UK - for better or worse - doesn't have a centralised ID system. Biometrics aren't routinely logged unless you get entangled with the law.

I may be registered in several different databases. But how do I prove that I am me? If the answer is that I know my mother's maiden name and address history - that means a fraudster could also access those accounts.

Passports usually have, at least, your finger prints in the chip. And as I said, they have tons of data on you (pics, medical stuff, telecom, etc). It all depends on how ez it is for the competent administrative services to access those databases (do you really think the MI6 does not have access to those database?)

Why do you think having microsoft having access to the global networks of IT professionals via its owned linkedin database is something that should not even be possible?

UK passports don't have fingerprints. The only biometric data is depth information calculated from the photo you provide.

I doubt this is the case, because I can bet that US customs require way more than that.

I literally live in the UK and have a recently issued passport. No fingerprints were taken.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

The US authorities do take fingerprints on entry. But they have nothing to compare them with.

I have contradicting info: the US requires biometric passport on entry, that with significant biometric data.

We were talking about our UK passports not having biometric data contained within them. The US and UK are different countries.

ofc, but if you want to go to the US from UK, you must have a UK biometric passport with sufficient biometric data in the chip to satisfy the US customs.

As of 2010 most UK passports have biometrics in them. Not strictly routine but many are likely to have them.

If you don't have "enough" "good" biometric data, your passport is invalid to go to the US... so...

UK passports are very much valid for entry to the US and do not contain fingerprints

https://unlock.org.uk/advice/information-contained-on-uk-pas...

> The International Civil Aviation Organisation recommendations for biometric standards include a digitised photograph embedded on a chip in the passport. Countries wishing to stay in the US Visa Waiver programme have had to start issuing biometric passports in line with these international recommendations.

The UK passport contains a digitised photograph which meets the ICAO requirement and is therefore valid for entry into the US without a visa.

> The EU has set minimum standards for passports which include the use of facial and fingerprint biometrics. The UK is not covered by these regulations and fingerprint biometrics are not included in UK passports.

The UK passport does not contain fingerprints. This is one of the opt-outs the UK received when it was in the EU.

So you say that UK citizens don't need pertinent biometric data on their passports (not even a visa) to get in the US due to some agreement between the 2 countries.

That, I can believe.

You absolutely need a biometric passport to enter the US, and have since 2016. Fingerprints are not part of it, they are taken at the border. However, sufficient biometric information is included to grant you access to the UK via an electronic gate.

Can you show me where on https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport it asks for a biometric other than a photo?

The biometric data consists of depth data from your photo only

https://unlock.org.uk/advice/information-contained-on-uk-pas...

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