Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak has indicated his dissatisfaction with the public concern over the proposed collection of biometric data during border crossing. The senior official described suspicion about the security force’s intentions as an “insult”.
The bill in contention is currently under discussion in a parliamentary committee. It proposes to empower the security forces, particularly the Public Security Police Force which handles immigration matters, to collect biometric data, such as those of an individual’s iris and retina.
The senior official spoke on the sidelines after sitting in at the committee’s meeting on Monday. He was questioned on the necessity of the proposal.
In response, he said it the measures are necessary, adding that “the police are not that bored” that they would collect data for no good reason. He asked why the police would collect the data if it were not for a necessary purpose.
He was then asked if the collection of such data would be unfairly used against tourists, considering Macau’s position as a tourism destination. Wong stressed that the data collection was for the convenience of immigration clearance.
Then he made an appeal, saying, “If [the public] thinks we are ill-intentioned, it will be an insult to us.”
He added that the biometric data of local residents in the form of fingerprints are collected by the government when they apply for the ID card.
In addition, Wong stressed that this collection is needed for Macau’s integration into the Greater Bay Area. “The [iris scanning] technology supports more convenient, secure and stable immigration clearance,” Wong said. “Immigration clearance by fingerprint is not the best way,” He added.
The official concluded that the technology will rarely be used in office spaces. He added that the proposed collection of biometric data, if passed, will mainly concern non-local residents.
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