Spanish biometric project 45% complete

[David Miller <dm0@avana.net>]

>Business Systems Magazine, Feb. 1998, p. 78:

>BIOMETRICS PROTECTS GOVERNMENT DATA

>For example, Spain's government recently integrated biometric
>verification units in 633 informational kiosks that will
>eventually be used by 7 million citizens (the project is 45%
>complete).
>...
>The 633 kiosks are located in various government offices in
>the Andalusia region of Spain, says John Souder, program
>manager for Unisys.  The Spanish Government plans to implement
>the kiosks nationwide.
>...
>To use the kiosks, citizens had to obtain a smart card with
>their name and an ID number.  Citizens also had to be "enrolled"
>in the system.  During the enrollment process, each citizen's
>right or left index fingerprint is scanned and stored to the
>smart card.  That way, the system can verify the citizen using
>the card is the same person authorized to use it.
>...
>Citizens can then access databases for the National Institute
>of Social Security; the National Institute of Employment; the
>General Treasury of Social Security and the Social Institute
>For Sea Workers.