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CNN Live At Daybreak
Seattle Area Thriftway Offering Customers Some Unusual Choices at Checkout
Aired April 30, 2002 - 05:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington State, a Seattle area Thriftway store is offering customers some unusual choices at the checkout counter. Check, cash, credit, or your finger.
Reporter Debra Feldman (ph), of CNN affiliate King Five News has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you found everything you were after?
DEBRA FELDMAN, REPORTER, KING FIVE NEWS: For some people paying for groceries with a debit card is novel enough, but for others carrying a wallet full of cash and credit cards is nothing short of a hassle. That's why on Wednesday, this Thriftway will start giving customers the option of using finger imaging technology as a way to pay for their everyday produce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't need to bring your card into the store. You just need to bring your finger.
FELDMAN: Thriftway's owner says this is the first time biometrics will be used in a Seattle store. Until this point, it's only been discussed as a safety measure in airports or home and business security systems. Depending on the system, people can use their fingers or their eyes as a personal security code.
In this case Thriftway's system uses just a third of a person's fingerprint to verify customer's who she claims to be, and then automatically links to their account so no fears of stolen identity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the Seattle area we're used to new technical things. I think it'll be a big hit.
FELDMAN: But it's not a big hit with everyone. Some worry of voluntary fingerprint scan this in this store, could lead to non- optional screening devices down the line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does not sound like something I would want to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because, I think that we're barking on some pretty serious privacy issues.
FELDMAN: But for other, efficiency outweighs any Orwellian theories.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, if I don't have to carry my credit card and all my bank cards and all of that, and that - that would be sounding pretty good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been fingerprinted before, so it doesn't matter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you would probably do it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably.
FELDMAN: Debra Feldman, King Five News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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