FB pixel

Biometrics Institute emphasizes basic privacy principles to build trust in biometrics

| Justin Lee
Categories Biometrics News  |  Commercial Applications  |  Facial Recognition
 

The Biometrics Institute announced it is disappointed by the U.S. National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) privacy multistakeholder consultation regarding a voluntary code of conduct for companies using facial recognition technology has failed following the withdrawal of several representatives from privacy groups.

Representatives from privacy groups American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Center for Democracy and Technology have all withdrawn from the privacy multistakeholder consultation regarding the guidelines for facial recognition use.

“Informed consent and notice remain fundamental principles for the Biometrics Institute to build trust in the use of biometric technologies,” said Isabelle Moeller, CEO of the Biometrics Institute. “The Biometrics Institute has been actively promoting the responsible use of biometrics since its foundation in 2001. Our Privacy Guideline highlights principles such as informed consent. Creating and sustaining citizen’s and the public’s trust in biometric technologies is essential.”

“This discussion again raises the fundamental issue of the covert versus overt enrolment of biometrics,” said Juliet Lodge, a member of the Biometrics Institute Privacy Expert Group. “The reluctance of commercial enterprises to obtain consumers’ permission to capture and exploit their biometrics is disturbing as they are not citing specific objective reasons for their behaviour in the same way as the public sector e.g. preventing terrorism, crime and protecting borders etc.

“One can only assume that they wish to use these mass enrolments purely for commercial gain and that does not balance particularly well with the civil liberty arguments that we are familiar with. The big issue around trust stems not from the roll out of technologies but from the lack of knowledge and consent about mining linkage.”

Although the Biometrics Institute places great emphasis on protecting privacy and data, it admits that these goals must be customized accordingly based on the country, culture and legislation.

The organization also stresses that a fully engagement with all stakeholders including industry, users, privacy regulators and advocates is an essential part of ensuring the responsible use of biometrics.

As such, the Biometrics Institute will continue consulting with its members and key stakeholders regarding privacy issues and on the Trust Mark proposal in the coming month.

Additionally, the Biometrics Institute’s board of directors has approved a feasibility study for the Trust Mark proposal, which it will now use for consultation.

Previously reported, the Biometrics Institute recently launched its 2015 Industry Survey requesting its members and key stakeholders to provide input on the current status and expected future developments of the biometrics industry.

Article Topics

 |   |   |   |   | 

Latest Biometrics News

 

Sri Lanka sets Q4 target for SL-UDI rollout

Sri Lanka is preparing to issue its first production digital identities next quarter, beginning a phased rollout of the country’s…

 

Madagascar strengthens trust architecture for national digital ID

Madagascar is strengthening the legal, institutional and technical foundations of its national digital identity program, introducing new cybercrime legislation as…

 

Cybastion backs Cameroon digital sovereignty with $75M infrastructure project

Cybastion has committed $75 million to fund the construction of digital infrastructure in Cameroon, including a data center and an…

 

Co-Develop, Caribou outline governance blueprint for DPI adoption

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) programs have grown to include more than 100 countries globally. Recognizing this expansion, Co-Develop and Caribou…

 

Socure brings Aeropay into RiskOS to connect identity verification with bank payments

Socure is extending its RiskOS platform further into payments through an integration with Aeropay that combines identity verification, bank account…

 

trinamiX accuses Apple of infringing Face ID skin-detection patents

Germany-based BASF subsidiary trinamiX has sued Apple in U.S. federal court, alleging that Face ID technology in newer iPhones and…

Comments

23 Replies to “Biometrics Institute emphasizes basic privacy principles to build trust in biometrics”

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Continue Reading

Market Intelligence

Featured Company

Learn More

Biometric Update Podcast

Most Read This Week

White Papers

Latest Webinars

Biometrics Industry Events