Biometrics Institute launches updated Privacy Guidelines to include GDPR and AI developments

The Biometrics Institute is observing Privacy Awareness Week by updating its Privacy Guidelines to provide universal direction on biometric privacy, including consideration of the implications of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In addition to GDPR, the update takes in new developments relating to the increasing collection of personal information by social media platforms, the growth of artificial intelligence, drones, and more sophisticated facial recognition systems, the widespread use of biometrics for border control, telecommunications, security, and food and medical distribution in displaced persons groups. It also addresses redress and complaints by people who have suffered negative outcomes related to biometric systems, and stronger privacy protections for data collection by automated systems, particularly for vulnerable people, provides advice on managing subcontractors, explores the role of audits and privacy impact assessments, managing data breaches, and the right of citizens to have biometric records amended or deleted.

The institute also launched its Ethical Principles for Biometrics at its annual U.S. Conference earlier this year.

“Biometrics technology and its applications are growing exponentially,” explains Isabelle Moeller, the Biometrics Institute’s chief executive. “In the last two years, privacy and what is meant by informed consent has gone under the spotlight. Whether you’re a supplier, researcher, operator, purchaser, manager or controller of biometric systems, it’s never been more important to protect privacy and to act ethically with people’s data. Our 2019 guidelines are the first comprehensive, universal privacy guidelines for biometrics.”

The Privacy Guidelines are updated every two years to reflect changes in technology or legislation that impact privacy, through extensive monitoring by and consultation with the institute’s Privacy and Policy Expert Group, which is made up of a broad spectrum of privacy experts from around the world.

“The latest upgrade to our Privacy Guidelines is the first since the introduction of GDPR,” comments Biometrics Institute Privacy and Policy Expert Group head Terry Aulich. “We have deliberately incorporated major parts of the world’s most comprehensive privacy law into our own guidelines for biometrics. Our 2019 Privacy Guidelines will help organisations to approach privacy protection with greater effectiveness.”

Aulich will discuss the issues dealt with in the Guidelines at the Biometrics Institute’s Asia-Pacific Conference in Sydney on May 22. The theme of Privacy Awareness Week for 2019 is “Protecting privacy is everyone’s responsibility.”

Article Topics

biometric data  |  biometrics  |  Biometrics Institute  |  data collection  |  data protection  |  ethics  |  GDPR  |  privacy