Digital Fingerprinting and Society

Image source: http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/michigan/files/201610/7364794520_8fa1920051_z.jpg

What are the social values that appear embedded in the technology? In other words, if technology is mediated (comes to be) because of prevailing cultural values, from what cultural values does the technology come?

• Immediate access to fingerprint data
• Checking digital databases for matching prints
• Makes arrest processing quicker
• Cleaner than traditional fingerprinting
• Helps identify suspects by allowing computers to compare fingerprints rather than comparison by eye
• Creates more efficient interaction among government agencies

What are the social implications of its design or use? Is it gendered?

• We live in a country where crime is part of our culture
• As a society, we label people who we believe are likely to commit crimes in the future
• Not gendered

Is it systemic (meaning, a product of the ever-present "system" aka the man, the culture, ideologies)? Consider if it would "work" in another culture.

• This technology is systemic in that it is reflective of our culture
• The system is not in itself ever present, but is linked to ever present crime databases and "the man"
• This technology can and does work in other cultures

What does your technology say about the culture that created it?

• We live in a culture that is closely monitored by the government
• We live in a society that is flawed or corrupted
• There's a lack of trust in our citizens
• Need for instant communication
• Our culture is increasingly progressing toward digital data