The Dark Side of Biometric Technologies: How Shared Control of the Body Elicits Job Insecurity

Abstract

Technological advancement is associated with job insecurity, which refers to threats to the stability and continuity of work. The recent emergence of biometric technologies, which can collect, store, and analyze physiological and behavioral human data, have led to a new form of managerial control over workers: shared control of the body. Biometric technologies have the potential to infringe upon human rights and elicit job insecurity, but the mechanisms through which this occurs are not well understood. In this conceptual paper, we propose three pathways of how shared control of the body elicits job insecurity. First, shared control of the body threatens job autonomy, which elicits job insecurity. Second, perceived creepiness mediates the relationship between shared control of the body and job insecurity. Finally, shared control of the body erodes inherent and meritocratic dignity, which elicits job insecurity. We contribute to scholarly discussions regarding technology agency, surveillance, and human wellbeing.