A 1998 study of the accuracy, applications, costs, legal issues, and privacy issues associated with potential uses and concluded that biometric systems have enormous potential for public and private organizations alike. Biometric systems serve two purposes: identification and authentication. The most common systems identify or authenticate users by their fingerprints, eyes, hands, faces, or voices. Applications include identifying criminals, preventing welfare fraud, aiding security in corrections, supporting border control, conducing criminal background checks, and establishing identities on driver's licenses. These systems use two measures of accuracy, one for each type of mistake they make. The courts have no rules on new biometrics, but fingerprints may provide a precedent. Biometric systems work well, have proven their cost-effectiveness in specific applications, and can operate with public cooperation if they have safeguards to protect citizens' legal and privacy rights. Photographs