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.
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 […]
FPF Releases Updated Infographic on Age Assurance Technologies, Emerging Standards, and Risk Management
The Future of Privacy Forum is releasing an updated version of its Age Assurance: Technologies and Tradeoffs infographic, reflecting how rapidly the technical and policy landscape has evolved over the past year. As lawmakers, platforms, and regulators increasingly converge on age assurance as a governance tool, the updated infographic sharpens the focus on proportionality, privacy […]
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. […]
FPF in 2022: A Year in Review
As 2022 comes to an end, we wanted to reflect on a year that saw the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) expand its presence both domestically and around the globe, while producing engaging events, thought-provoking analysis, and insightful publications. Global Expansion In 2022, FPF closely followed and advised upon significant developments in Asia, the European […]
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), […]
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 […]
12th Annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Awardees Explore the Nature of Privacy Rights & Harms
The winners of the 12th annual Future of Privacy (FPF) Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award ask big questions about what should be the foundational elements of data privacy and protection and who will make key decisions about the application of privacy rights. Their scholarship will inform policy discussions around the world about privacy harms, corporate […]
Insights into the Future of Data Protection Enforcement: Regulatory Strategies of European Data Protection Authorities for 2021-2022
The Future of Privacy Forum released a report that brings “Insights into the future of data protection enforcement: Regulatory strategies of European Data Protection Authorities for 2021-2022”. The European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) are arguably the most powerful data protection and privacy regulators in the world, having been granted by the European Union’s General Data […]
FPF Issues Award for Research Data Stewardship to Stanford Medicine & Empatica, Google & Its Academic Partners
WASHINGTON, DC (June 29, 2021) – The second-annual FPF Award for Research Data Stewardship honors two teams of researchers and corporate partners for their commitment to privacy and ethical uses of data in their efforts to research aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One team is a collaboration between Stanford Medicine researchers led by Tejaswini Mishra, PhD, Professor […]
FPF in 2020: Adjusting to the Unexpected
With 2020 fast coming to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on a year that forced us to re-focus our priorities, along with much of our lives, while continuing to produce engaging events, thought-provoking analysis, and insightful reports. Considering Privacy & Ethics at the Dawn of a New Decade Early in […]