Plan to approve voice recording raises concerns on data ethics

VOICE identification is set to be used at British borders under government plans to catch more terrorists and illegal immigrants.

The Home Office’s official biometrics strategy suggested people’s voices will be used for identification at ports and borders after its introduction in forensic science.

HM Revenue & Customs already use it to verify callers, although last week campaign groups alleged that HMRC had been illegally storing the voice data of millions of Britons.

The Home Office report, which delved into the ethics and laws governing the use of biometrics, also revealed how police, immigration and passport control departments are planning a central system to upload and share DNA, fingerprint, photograph and potentially voice data.

It follows successes using smartphones to match people to the current