Final answer:
Passwords and biometrics are authentication controls used to verify user identity and exemplify the concept of biopower in modern societies, regulating individuals' access and behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Passwords and biometrics are both authentication controls, which are used to verify the identity of a user before granting access to a system or facility. While passwords require memorized secret information, biometrics rely on unique physical characteristics of an individual, such as fingerprints or retina patterns.
This distinction highlights the different ways through which modern states exert biopower, as defined by French philosopher Michel Foucault, which includes regulating and categorizing the bodies and identities of citizens.
In contemporary society, we continuously interact with various forms of biopower, whether through mandatory state-sponsored identification, such as driver's licenses, or through more subtle means like consumption habits influenced by marketing. Thus, passwords and biometrics not only serve as security measures but also as mechanisms for social control within the framework established by bureaucratic systems.