Before computers became a part of daily life in print shops, we didn’t think much about security beyond who had keys to the shop. As the work became computer-enabled and data became a daily discussion, shops added firewalls and login protocols to guard the data and build audit trails of who touched what. To make things easier, many shops added biometric-based solutions that used fingerprint and handprints to clock-in and clock-out and to login to computers. It is easy and provides a clear audit trail, but the rules have changed and you should keep an eye on how they impact you.

In our industries, biometric technologies refer to systems that use unique physical or behavioral characteristics—such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, or voice patterns—to identify or authenticate individuals. These technologies are commonly used in print shops for:

These systems help streamline operations and improve security, but their use involves collecting sensitive personal data, making compliance with privacy laws like Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) essential.