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.
A New Paradigm for Consumer Health Data Privacy in Washington State
The Washington ‘My Health, My Data’ Act (MHMD or the Act) establishes a fundamentally new legal framework within U.S. law to regulate the collection, use, and transfer of consumer health data. Signed into law by Governor Inslee on April 27, MHMD was introduced by request of the Washington Attorney General in response to the Supreme […]
Tanzania’s Personal Information Protection Act: Overview, Key Takeaways, and Context
On November 27 2022, the President of Tanzania signed the Personal Information Protection Act, 2022 (PIPA) after it garnered unanimous Parliamentary support following its September 2022 introduction during the 8th Parliamentary sitting. The Act’s passage makes the United Republic of Tanzania (henceforth referred to as “Tanzania”) the 35th country in Africa to enact a standalone data […]
Whither Indiana? Somewhere in the Middle for Consumer Privacy Protection
On April 13, 2023, Indiana Senate Bill 5 unanimously cleared the state legislature. If enacted by Governor Holcomb, Indiana will become the seventh state to enact a baseline consumer privacy law. To help stakeholders assess where Indiana fits into the expanding U.S. state privacy landscape, the Future of Privacy Forum has released a chart comparing […]
Race Equity, Surveillance in the Post-Roe Era, and Data Protection Frameworks in the Global South are Major Topics During This Year’s Privacy Papers for Policymakers Event
Author: Randy Cantz, U.S. Policy Intern, Ethics and Data in Research and former Communications Intern at FPF The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) hosted a Capitol Hill event honoring 2022’s must-read privacy scholarship at the 13th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Awards ceremony. This year’s event featured an opening keynote by FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya […]
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 […]
This Year’s Must-Read Privacy Papers to be Honored at Capitol Hill Event
The Future of Privacy Forum’s 13th 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 13th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers (PPPM) Awards. The PPPM Awards recognize leading privacy […]
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 […]
FPF Provides Input on Draft Colorado Privacy Act Regulations
On September 30th, The Colorado Department of Law released draft regulations to implement the Colorado Privacy Act. The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) filed written comments in response to the proposed rules on November 7th. Furthermore, FPF’s Keir Lamont and Felicity Slater participated in public stakeholder sessions hosted by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office as […]
FPF at IAPP’s Europe Data Protection Congress 2022: Global State of Play, Automated Decision-Making, and US Privacy Developments
Authored by Christina Michelakaki, FPF Intern for Global Policy On November 16 and 17, 2022, the IAPP hosted the Europe Data Protection Congress 2022 – Europe’s largest annual gathering of data protection experts. During the Congress, members of the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) team moderated and spoke at three different panels. Additionally, on November […]
Five Big Questions (and Zero Predictions) for the U.S. State Privacy Landscape in 2023
Entering 2023, the United States remains one of the only global economic powers that lacks a comprehensive, national framework governing the collection and use of consumer data throughout the economy. Congress made unprecedented progress toward enacting baseline privacy legislation in 2022. However, the apparent impasse in the efforts to move H.R. 8152, the American Data […]