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.
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), […]
Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows: XR Functions
This post is the first in a two-part series on extended reality (XR) technology, providing an overview of the technology and associated privacy and data protection risks. Click here for FPF’s infographic, “Understanding Extended Reality Technology & Data Flows.” I. Introduction Today’s virtual (VR), mixed (MR), and augmented (AR) reality environments, collectively known as extended […]
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 […]
Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Bill: Overview, Key Takeaways, and Context
The authors thank Zacky Zainal Husein and Muhammad Iqsan Sirie from Rajah & Tann Indonesia for their insights. Overview On September 20, 2022, Indonesia’s House of Representatives passed the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP Bill) (note: linked Bill is in Indonesian). This is the first step towards enactment of the PDP Bill as law. The […]
Judge declares Buenos Aires’ Fugitive Facial Recognition System Unconstitutional
On September 7, a trial judge declared the implementation of the Fugitive Facial Recognition System (SRFP, for its name in Spanish) by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires unconstitutional. The decision set an important precedent for risks associated with privacy and intimacy in public spaces in the context of public surveillance for law […]
The “Colorado Effect?” Status Check on Colorado’s Privacy Rulemaking
Colorado is set to formally enter a rulemaking process which may establish de facto interpretations for privacy protections across the United States. With the passage of the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) in 2021, Colorado, along with Virginia, Utah, and Connecticut, became part of an emerging group of states adopting privacy laws that share a similar […]
Looking Back to Forge Ahead: Challenges of Developing an “African Conception” of Privacy
In this post for the FPF Blog, Mercy King’ori explores the cultural and societal underpinnings of “privacy” in Africa, looking throughout history, from pre-colonial times, and beyond the modern external influences on the legislative processes resulting in general data protection laws across the continent. The first essential point to start off from is understanding that […]
New Report on Limits of “Consent” in Macau’s Data Protection Law
Introduction Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and Asian Business Law Institute (ABLI), as part of their ongoing joint research project: “From Consent-Centric Data Protection Frameworks to Responsible Data Practices and Privacy Accountability in Asia Pacific,” are publishing the twelfth in a series of detailed jurisdiction reports on the status of “consent” and alternatives […]
ETSI’s consumer IoT cybersecurity ‘conformance assessments’: parallels with the AI Act
In early September 2021, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) published its European Standard to lay down baseline cybersecurity requirements for Internet of Things (IoT) consumer products (ETSI EN 303 645 V2.1.1). The Standard is a recommendation to manufacturers to develop IoT devices securely from the outset. It also provides an internationally recognized benchmark – […]
FPF Files Comments on Colorado Privacy Act Pre-Rulemaking Activity
Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) filed comments with the Colorado Department of Law regarding forthcoming rulemaking under the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA). The CPA, which goes into effect in July 2023, will establish important new data privacy rights, controls, and protections for individuals in Colorado. FPF’s comments are directed toward ensuring that forthcoming […]