Biometric technology has long been used for security and law enforcement purposes such as national security watch lists, passport controls, criminal fingerprint databases, and immigration processing. Now, however, the private sector increasingly uses these systems as a verification method for authentication that previously required a PIN or password. Apple’s decision to include a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone in 2013 brought new public awareness to possible non-law-enforcement applications of biometric technologies, and the company’s shift to facial recognition access in the most recent models further normalized the concept. Biometric technology continues to be adopted in many sectors, including financial services, transportation, health care, computer systems and facility access, and voting. In many cases, this technology is more efficient, less expensive, and easier to use than traditional alternatives, while also eliminating the need for passwords, which are broadly recognized as an insufficiently secure safeguard for user data. However, as with any digital system, there are privacy concerns around the collection, use, storage, sharing, and analysis of the data that are generated by these systems.
Perseverance Pays Off for Vermont Privacy Efforts
Vermont has become the 23rd U.S. state to enact a comprehensive consumer privacy law after Governor Scott signed S.71, the Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act (VDPOSA), on June 16. This new law is amongst the broadest in the country, closely resembling the 2025 version of the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA). For example, […]
Third Time’s the Charm: Connecticut Enacts Annual Privacy Update
The Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) has been revised multiple times since being enacted in 2022: SB 3 added heightened protections for consumer health data and for minors in 2023; and SB 1295 in 2025 expanded the law’s scope, updated and added consumer rights, modified the data minimization and purpose limitation requirements, prescribed impact assessment […]
Red Lines under the EU AI Act: Restricting Real-time Remote Biometric Identification Systems for Law Enforcement Purposes
Blog 8 | Red Lines under the EU AI Act Series This blog is the eighth of a series that explores prohibited AI practices under the EU AI Act and their interplay with existing EU law. You can find the whole series here. The eighth blog in the “Red lines under the EU AI Act” series […]
Red Lines under the EU AI Act: Understanding the prohibition of biometric categorization for certain sensitive characteristics
Blog 7 | Red Lines under the EU AI Act Series This blog is the seventh of a series that explores prohibited AI practices under the EU AI Act and their interplay with existing EU law. You can find the whole series here. The EU AI Act provides for rules on prohibited AI practices that the […]
Red Lines under EU AI Act: Unpacking the prohibition of emotion recognition in the workplace and education institutions
Blog 6 | Red Lines under the EU AI Act Series This blog is the sixth of a series that explores prohibited AI practices under the EU AI Act and their interplay with existing EU law. You can find the whole series here. The sixth blog in the “Red lines under the EU AI Act” […]
Red Lines under the EU AI Act: Understanding the ban of the untargeted scraping of facial images and facial recognition databases
Blog 5 | Red Lines under the EU AI Act Series This blog is the fifth of a series that explores prohibited AI practices under the EU AI Act and their interplay with existing EU law. You can find the whole series here. 1. Introduction The fifth blog in the “Red lines under the EU AI […]
Africa’s Data Protection Reforms: A Continental Perspective on the Drivers of Change in Legal Frameworks
1. Introduction Within an evolving digital landscape, several African jurisdictions have proposed a variety of reforms to existing and novel legal frameworks that regulate the processing of personal data, and the development and deployment of new technologies. Across the continent, there is a growing consensus among legislators on the need to create a regulatory environment […]
Red Lines under the EU AI Act: Understanding ‘Prohibited AI Practices’ and their Interplay with the GDPR, DSA
Blog 1 | Red Lines under the EU AI Act Series This blog is the first of a series that explores prohibited AI practices under the EU AI Act and their interplay with existing EU law. You can find the whole series here. The EU AI Act prohibits certain AI practices in the European Union (hereinafter also […]
FPF Holiday Gift Guide for AI-Enabled, Privacy-Forward AgeTech
On Cyber Monday, giving supportive technology to an older loved one or caregiver is a great option. Finding the perfect holiday gift for an older adult who values their independence can be a challenge. This year, it might be worth exploring the exciting world of AI-enabled AgeTech. It’s not only gadgets; it’s also about giving […]
“Personality vs. Personalization” in AI Systems: Responsible Design and Risk Management (Part 4)
This post is the fourth and final blog post in a series on personality versus personalization in AI systems. Read Part 1 (exploring concepts), Part 2 (concrete uses and risks), and Part 3 (intersection with U.S. law). Conversational AI technologies are hyper-personalizing. Across sectors, companies are focused on offering personalized experiences that are tailored to […]