Deputy Government Spokesman Anukool Pruksanusak said on Wednesday that while technology and innovation now play an increasingly important role in business, communication, education, and security, the rapid adoption of biometric systems—such as fingerprint, facial recognition, and iris scans—comes with significant risks.
Anukool emphasised that biometric data is among the most sensitive personal information. Unlike passwords, it cannot be changed if compromised. “Iris codes are uniquely specific and difficult to alter. They can identify an individual with absolute certainty,” he said.
The risks, he explained, include:
- Data leakage: If iris codes are stolen, hackers may misuse them in the future.
- Identity theft: Iris data could be exploited to impersonate individuals, particularly in financial transactions.
- Deepfake risks: Stolen biometric data can be used to generate deepfakes for sophisticated cybercrime.
He noted that several countries, including Spain, Brazil, India and Germany, prohibit iris scans for such data collection, reflecting global concerns.
“Exchanging biometric data for small financial rewards may not be worth the irreversible damage if the information is misused,” Anukool warned.