Views /Opinion

Voiceprint: From a verification tool to a tracking technology

Amid the rapid technological advancements witnessed globally, voiceprint technology has emerged as one of the most significant developments in identity recognition. Its applications span various fields, including security, finance, and military operations. This technology operates by extracting unique vocal features of individuals—such as frequencies, tone, speed, and rhythm—transforming them into digital “voiceprints” used as biometric references for identity verification, akin to fingerprints or DNA. It is less intrusive than traditional methods like fingerprint or facial recognition and is more convenient, as it can function remotely using ordinary microphones, facilitating access and usability across numerous applications.

Voiceprint technology is based on the premise that every individual unconsciously manifests distinct vocal characteristics that differ across people. These differences persist even among identical twins, making it nearly impossible to match voiceprints, even in cases of significant physical resemblance. Thus, voiceprint is categorized as a type of human biometric marker, referring to measurements derived from biological features of the human body.

Modern technology heavily relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and deep neural networks to identify and analyze unique vocal traits. These systems can process millions of audio recordings, enabling them to learn from new data and improve their performance over time. Such advancements allow the separation of a target voice from background noise, even in crowded environments, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of voiceprint technology, especially in security, military, and intelligence applications.

Voiceprints are no longer confined to banks, airports, or smartphones; they have become instrumental in military and intelligence operations, including targeted killings. This technology has reportedly been used to track and assassinate resistance leaders in Gaza and Lebanon, highlighting a significant shift in its use. These operations involve analyzing and storing voices in extensive databases, enabling future identification by comparing new recordings to those stored. This capability allows precise and rapid execution of missions using AI to locate targets and carry out the required tasks.

Advanced technological capabilities possessed by certain armies, such as the Israeli military, enable the creation of massive voice libraries for targeted individuals. With each call or conversation analyzed, new information is added to these libraries, enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of tracking operations. Reports indicate the use of this technology to track resistance leaders through phone calls or advanced surveillance systems to pinpoint their exact locations, enabling targeted killings using drones or ground forces.

Despite the substantial security advantages of voiceprint technology, it raises ethical concerns about its applications. Many governments and militaries rely on this technology for military and intelligence purposes, but there is an urgent need for clear legal frameworks to regulate its use and safeguard privacy and human rights. Employing voiceprints to track individuals opens the door to potential privacy violations, making it essential to regulate their use and prevent misuse.

Commercially, voiceprint technology is considered more secure than traditional identity verification methods like passwords, which are vulnerable to cyberattacks such as brute force and phishing attacks aimed at compromising and misusing passwords. In contrast, voiceprints are unique biometric data that are difficult to replicate or forge. For this reason, they have been widely adopted in financial applications, logistics, and aviation, serving as a reliable means of verifying user identities.

The ethical dilemma remains: how can the benefits of this technology be balanced with ensuring the protection of individual rights? The expansion of voiceprint usage in military and intelligence operations raises concerns about privacy, as it can lead to extensive surveillance and the erosion of personal freedoms. Therefore, the international community must work toward establishing strict regulations and laws governing the use of this technology to ensure it remains within the bounds of legitimate application.

- Dr. Khaled Walid Mahmoud is a researcher specializing in cyber politics, holding a PhD on the topic of “Cyberspace and Power Shifts in International Relations.”