Copies without an Original: The Performativity of Biometric Bordering Technologies

Federica Frabetti; Eleanor Drage

Copies without an Original: The Performativity of Biometric Bordering Technologies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We analyse two examples of biometrics in civil registration and migration contexts (the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ voice biometry system and UK HMPO passport photo checker tool) to show how, rather than ‘recognising’ a person, biometrics creates a field of intelligibility within which the shifting positionalities of bodies are ‘stabilised’ and deemed recognisable. We show how the obfuscation of this process has had violent racialising and gendering effects on the bodies of AI participants. We present our performative approach as a strategic intervention at the intersections of AI ethics and biometrics in these contexts.

Original language	English
Journal	Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 20 Feb 2022

Keywords

AI
biometrics
race
gender studies
performativity

Cite this

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title = "Copies without an Original: The Performativity of Biometric Bordering Technologies",

abstract = "We analyse two examples of biometrics in civil registration and migration contexts (the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees{\textquoteright} voice biometry system and UK HMPO passport photo checker tool) to show how, rather than {\textquoteleft}recognising{\textquoteright} a person, biometrics creates a field of intelligibility within which the shifting positionalities of bodies are {\textquoteleft}stabilised{\textquoteright} and deemed recognisable. We show how the obfuscation of this process has had violent racialising and gendering effects on the bodies of AI participants. We present our performative approach as a strategic intervention at the intersections of AI ethics and biometrics in these contexts. ",

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N2 - We analyse two examples of biometrics in civil registration and migration contexts (the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ voice biometry system and UK HMPO passport photo checker tool) to show how, rather than ‘recognising’ a person, biometrics creates a field of intelligibility within which the shifting positionalities of bodies are ‘stabilised’ and deemed recognisable. We show how the obfuscation of this process has had violent racialising and gendering effects on the bodies of AI participants. We present our performative approach as a strategic intervention at the intersections of AI ethics and biometrics in these contexts.

AB - We analyse two examples of biometrics in civil registration and migration contexts (the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ voice biometry system and UK HMPO passport photo checker tool) to show how, rather than ‘recognising’ a person, biometrics creates a field of intelligibility within which the shifting positionalities of bodies are ‘stabilised’ and deemed recognisable. We show how the obfuscation of this process has had violent racialising and gendering effects on the bodies of AI participants. We present our performative approach as a strategic intervention at the intersections of AI ethics and biometrics in these contexts.

KW - AI

KW - biometrics

KW - race

KW - gender studies

KW - performativity

M3 - Article

JO - Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies

JF - Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies

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