Biometrics

Jul 16 2018

WPF Summer & Fall 2018 Privacy Events

WPF will be speaking and/or participating in the following events this summer and fall. Please join us, or let us know if you will be attending. Global Forum on Artificial Intelligence, Swiss Re Center for Global Dialogue, 9-10 July 2018. Zurich, Switzerland. Pam Dixon, WPF Executive Director, delegate. Europlace International Financial Forum, 11-12 July 2018.

Jun 01 2018

WPF comments on the DHS External Biometric Records database

The World Privacy Forum has submitted detailed comments on the US Department of Homeland Security’s External Biometric Records database (EBR database), which DHS describes as a large biometric and demographic database drawn from foreign and domestic sources. WPF has a number of concerns about the proposal, including that the EBR database is slated to be exempted from

Apr 16 2018

WPF moderating seminar on GDPR & biometrics in Brussels, Belgium

WPF executive director Pam Dixon will be moderating a seminar to be held by the Biometrics Institute in Brussels, Belgium on 17 April on the topic of implications and implementation of the GDPR. The event will be held at the Office of the Spanish National Research Council, 7th Floor, Room 3, Rue du Trône 62,

Jan 16 2018

Comments Due on India’s Data Protection White Paper; Info, resources, & draft comments

The government of India has published an important white paper discussing its approach to data protection legislation, White Paper of the Committee of Experts on Data Protection Framework for India. The government of India is accepting comments on its white paper until January 31, 2018. This paper is particularly important because of its future impact

Dec 04 2017

National IDs around the World: Data Analysis and Graphic

We are highlighting two recent publications from this year, both involving large and important datasets. In case you missed this work, here are the highlights. Click the links below to visit the original interactive data visualizations. First: National IDs Around the World This interactive map displays the presence of National IDs and electronic IDs, including

National IDs Around the World — Interactive map

About this Data Visualization: This interactive map displays the presence...
Report: From the Filing Cabinet to the Cloud: Updating the Privacy Act of 1974

This comprehensive report and proposed bill text is focused on the Privacy Act of 1974, an important and early Federal privacy law that applies to the government sector and some contractors. The Privacy Act was written for the 1970s information era -- an era that was characterized by the use of mainframe computers and filing cabinets. Today's digital information era looks much different than the '70s: smart phones are smarter than the old mainframes, and documents are now routinely digitized and stored and perhaps even analyzed in the cloud, among many other changes. The report focuses on why the Privacy Act needs an update that will bring it into this century, and how that could look and work. This work was written by Robert Gellman, and informed by a two-year multi-stakeholder process.
COVID-19 and HIPAA: HHS’s Troubled Approach to Waiving Privacy and Security Rules for the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic strained the U.S. health ecosystem in numerous ways, including putting pressure on the HIPAA privacy and security rules. The Department of Health and Human Services adjusted the privacy and security rules for the pandemic through the use of statutory and administrative HIPAA waivers. While some of the adjustments are appropriate for the emergency circumstances, there are also some meaningful and potentially unwelcome privacy and security consequences. At an appropriate time, the use of HIPAA waivers as a response to health care emergencies needs a thorough review. This report sets out the facts, identifies the issues, and proposes a roadmap for change.