Pace of regulation slow for biometrics in humanitarian settings: Rand

Despite the ubiquitous deployment of digital technologies such as biometrics in humanitarian scenarios, the pace of regulation remains slow while risks such as those related to aid diversion and other forms of fraud still linger.

This is among the key findings of a study by RAND Europe, a non-profit organization that helps to inform policy and decision-making through research and analysis.

The study whose report, was published on October 17, is commissioned by the United Kingdom Humanitarian Innovation Hub (UKHIH) and funded by UK International Development.

The report takes a dive into the journey of biometrics in the humanitarian sector, key cases of deployment, and then draws lessons which it says can inform the future adoption and use of the technology in similar contexts.

The report notes that while fraud and aid diversion risk reduction was presented as the primary driver for the early deployment of biometrics in the humanitarian sector as seen with the UNHCR biometrically registering aid beneficiaries, these situations still unfortunately occur today.

“Biometrics regulations and organisational policies have generally developed more slowly than both the underpinning technologies and the crisis contexts in which they are deployed. There remains a need to better anticipate longer-term risks of biometrics throughout the full technology life cycle,” the report suggests.

It mentions that while trade-offs between different approaches to organisational policy and accountability should be carefully considered as reflected in the case of Oxfam, technological risk assessment should factor in a broader range of future scenarios including high-risk ones that do not appear evident at present.

For the responsible deployment of biometrics especially in crisis-affected contexts, the report suggests that the development of local capacity and a more holistic framework for assessing the local impact of such technologies are a major enabler, adding that “a universal rollout of biometrics that neglects local contexts has sometimes impacted both the trust in biometrics programs and their ability to enable access to humanitarian services.”

By and large, the report holds that while organizations are employing various approaches to deal with the risk of biometrics use in humanitarian settings and efforts to build consensus on regulation of the technology, it is also important to lay emphasis on capacity building, which should include the development of infrastructure, human capital and local agency.

The deployment of biometrics in the humanitarian sector has animated the broader biometrics deployment debate in the past few years.

A report published by The Engine Room last year called for the responsible and holistic use of biometrics in the humanitarian milieu, with focus on strict data protection protocols.

Early this year, an investigation by rights watchdog Access Now called for more transparency and clear rules in relation to procurement, data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and incident reports on biometric deployment in humanitarian situations.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  fraud prevention  |  humanitarian  |  identity management  |  RAND Corp.  |  regulation