Biometrics calm US web shoppers

Biometric scanners could alleviate fears of online identity theft, according to an IBM survey.

Forty-nine per cent of US survey respondents said biometric technology, such as a fingerprint scanner, would help people feel more comfortable shopping on the internet. One-third (32 per cent) of the 1,000 people surveyed said an iris scanner could also help to quell fears.

Two in five people (40 per cent) said sophisticated encryption technology and something that would protect signatures from forgery would also make people feel more secure.

More than one-quarter of consumers (27 per cent) said credit card companies should be held responsible in the event of card fraud. Fifteen per cent said retailers should be accountable, while more than one-quarter (26 per cent) of respondents said consumers are responsible for protecting their own information.

The survey follows research released earlier this year from analyst Gartner, which found three out of four online shoppers in the US are cautious about where they buy goods online.

One in three reported buying fewer items because of security concerns, the market researcher found.