Book Title: Modern Forensic Tools and Devices: Trends in Criminal Investigation
Editors: Mr. Ravi Kumar, Ms. Nandini Katare, Don Caeiro, and Dr. Surbhi Girdhar
Chapter: 17
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59646/658/17
Author: Saumya Tripathi
Abstract
It can now be said that biometric technologies are an inseparable element of the modern identity management systems at the individual level, business level and state level throughout the globe. They are systems that rely on human peculiarities that include fingerprints or facial traits to enable efficient identification of individuals to enhance security and efficiency in its operation in any given sphere of application, as shown by cases of border control, forensic cases as well as identification programs undertaken by countries. The emergence of biometric surveillance and artificial intelligence in the scope of law enforcement has transformed the notions of individual safety in many ways and, in the context of the United States, specifically, yet with the widely felt effects across the world. This development will require a thorough review of the ethical implications and legal regulations that should be used in the implementation of such complex techniques of identification (Punia et al., 2024). In particular, the introduction of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in the biometric systems is both an unprecedented opportunity and a significant challenge to the police and the prevention of violence. The chapter will thus give the recent snapshot of biometric identification technologies, the methodological underpinnings of the same, and its practical application in the law enforcement system and closely address the multi-faceted implication of the technology in the fields of privacy, accuracy and fairness in the society (Haley, 2025; Vu et al., 2025). It will also summarize the various types of biometric systems, the distinction between the physiological and behavioral biometrics and the various strengths and limitations of both in the field of forensics. This general overview will be a critical analysis of the role that these technologies play in criminal investigation and the extent to which they can detect both the criminal and victims and also the problem of data integrity and algorithmic bias involved. It will also explore the application of computational intelligence to advance biometric identification, bypassing the manualized way of doing things to offer forensic uses that are more effective and precise (Saini and Kapoor, 2016).