Biometrics

The first Roundtable of African Data Protection Authorities was a wide-ranging and vibrant roundtable conversation on the status and response to privacy risks in identity systems on the continent of Africa. The dialogue focused on data protection and privacy experiences, challenges, risks, and solutions in identity ecosystems, including biometrics. It was an extraordinary, first-of-its-kind event, and the DPAs had notable experiences and thoughts to share. These thoughts are captured in the Rapporteur’s report, which was written by WPF’s Pam Dixon.

While the $5 billion fine in the Facebook settlement has received a lot of attention, it is the compliance requirements that come with it that are of particular interest. Also noteworthy are the details in the complaint about how Facebook has handled facial recognition information and phone numbers.

Today WPF was quoted in an AP article about cameras that detect age, gender, and emotion being installed in retail stores, Coming to You: Cameras that guess your age and sex. For us, this was deja vu. In 2010, we published a report about cameras in retail settings called The One Way Mirror Society. In

Identity is a data-rich key that acts to unlock all levels of the emerging digital ecosystem. All forms of ID carry some risk, but digital forms of ID, or “dematerialized ID,” cuts across all sectors and generates particularly copious data about people, their behaviors, financial status, associates, and potentially even political and religious views. Over time, distinct patterns emerge from the data and have in the past created new kinds of risks for individuals and groups…..

The World Privacy Forum has submitted a set of key comments to the US Federal Trade Commission regarding privacy frameworks and governance. The comments introduce the idea of knowledge governance and propose frameworks that will work to solve the serious privacy challenges we face in complex data ecosystems.