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.
Chile’s New Data Protection Law: Context, Overview, and Key Takeaways
On August 26, 2024, the Chilean Congress approved Law 21.719, on the Protection of Personal Data (“LPPD”) after eight years of legislative debate. The legislation was published on December 13, 2024, and will become fully effective twenty-four months after that date (in December 2026). The LPPD was introduced in the Senate in 2017 to replace […]
The Old Line State Does Something New on Privacy
On April 6, the Maryland Senate concurred with House amendments to SB 541, the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA), sending the bill to Governor Moore for signature. If enacted, MODPA could be a paradigm-shifting addition to the state privacy law landscape. While recent state comprehensive privacy laws generally have added to the existing landscape […]
This Year’s Must-Read Privacy Papers to be Honored at Washington, D.C. Event
The Future of Privacy Forum’s 14th Annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award Recognizes Influential Privacy Research Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) — a global non-profit focused on data protection headquartered in Washington, D.C. — announced the winners of its 14th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers (PPPM) Awards. The PPPM Awards recognize leading U.S. […]
The Right to be Let a Lone Star State: Texas Passes Comprehensive Privacy Bill
Over Memorial Day weekend Texas lawmakers passed the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) with unanimous votes in both the State House and Senate. If enacted by Governor Abbott, Texas will become the tenth U.S. state (and fifth in 2023) to enact broad-based data privacy legislation governing the collection, use, and transfer of consumer […]
Knowledge is Power: The Future of Privacy Forum launches FPF Training Program
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”–Ben Franklin Let’s make 2023 the year we invest in ourselves, our teams, and the knowledge needed to best navigate this dynamic world of privacy and data protection. I am fortunate to know many of you who will read this blog post, but for those who I […]
Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows: Privacy and Data Protection Risks and Mitigation Strategies
This post is the second in a two-part series. Click here for FPF’s XR infographic. The first post in this series focuses on the key functions that XR devices may feature, and analyzes the kinds of sensors, data types, data processing, and transfers to other parties that power these functions. I. Introduction Today’s virtual (VR), […]
New Infographic Highlights XR Technology Data Flows and Privacy Risks
As businesses increasingly develop and adopt extended reality (XR) technologies, including virtual (VR), mixed (MR), and augmented (AR) reality, the urgency to consider potential privacy and data protection risks to users and bystanders grows. Lawmakers, regulators, and other experts are increasingly interested in how XR technologies work, what data protection risks they pose, and what […]
BCI Technical and Policy Recommendations to Mitigate Privacy Risks
This is the final post of a four-part series on Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), providing an overview of the technology, use cases, privacy risks, and proposed recommendations for promoting privacy and mitigating risks associated with BCIs. Click here for FPF and IBM’s full report: Privacy and the Connected Mind. In case you missed them, read the […]
UPDATE: China’s Car Privacy and Security Regulation is Effective on October 1, 2021
On August 20, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released an updated regulation on car privacy and data security that comes into force on October 1, 2021.
China’s New Comprehensive Data Protection Law: Context, Stated Objectives, Key Provisions
The National People’s Congress (NPC) of China adopted on August 20, 2021 the first Chinese comprehensive data protection law, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), less than a year after the first draft of the law was published. The NPC thus concluded its legislative process that saw two additional markups of the law since October […]