Biometrics and e-Identity (e-Passport) in the European Union: End-user Perspectives on the Adoption of a Controversial Innovation

This study deals with user acceptability of a proposed e-Passport in the European Union (EU). E-passport is an advanced version of a combined national identity card and travelling document which holds digitised biometric features of its associated individual for enhanced security of personal authentication. We attempt here to investigate the nature of the innovation and citizens’ attitudes to an e-Passport (or analogous innovation) in a range of socio-political-contexts within which the implementation occur. This paper reports the findings of an Internet Survey, conducted as the second phase following a larger research program on biometrics-based eIdentity (e-Passport) acceptability and deployment issues. The data collected are interpreted under the guidance of the theoretic framework “Price of Convenience” briefly described and fully referenced herein and theories of national culture after (Hofstede, 1983b, Hofstede, 1991). Other contingency factors and indicators for ePassport acceptance are proposed.