Biometric data: how value and ethics are balanced on the scale
No. 47: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
Biometric data is an extremely powerful resource and is the key to unlocking many tremendous innovations and pieces of technology. For example, AI is currently being developed in the US to determine medical conditions from the voices of patients. However, one of the major considerations with this development is that it respects HIPAA, and the biometric data used to train these models is used in a way that respects data privacy rights.
Misuse of biometric data can cause problems and ethical considerations for companies. In Texas, Google is being sued for unethically collecting and using the biometric data of Texans to improve the capability of various products, e.g. Google Photos and Google Nest. The controversial company, Clearview AI - which has modeled its facial recognition system by scraping billions of faces from across the internet - has recently been hit with a massive GDPR fine in France for unlawful data processing.
Moreover, there have been some concerns from privacy advocates regarding the use of facial recognition technology in Australian pubs and clubs to identify self-identified gamblers on a New South Wales database. Critics cite this policy as exacerbating a culture of invasive biometric surveillance, forcing people to have their privacy infringed by having their faces scanned, as well as citing concerns about the accuracy of this technology.
Biometric data can be incredibly useful and provide a lot of insight for scientific development and innovation, but we must be confident that companies and tech giants are collecting and using this data ethically and that there are structures in place to regulate its use.
As always, please send any feedback or topics of interest you would like to be covered.
Seena
News
Pubs and clubs in New South Wales will use facial recognition technology to deter problem-gamblers
Pubs and clubs in New South Wales, Australia, will be using facial recognition to identify problem gamblers registered with a state self-exclusion program. The facial recognition cameras will be rolled out across pubs and clubs from next year, identifying known problem gamblers from a database and alerting staff if they enter these establishments.
VICE: Facial Recognition Will Be Used to Stop Self-Excluded Gamblers in NSW
Clearview AI hit with €20 million GDPR fine by French DPA for unlawful data processing
The controversial facial recognition company, Clearview AI, has recently been hit with a €20 million fine from the French data privacy administration body, the CNIL. This came after the company did not respond to an order from the CNIL to stop unlawfully processing data and to delete the data of French citizens.
Tech Crunch: France fines Clearview AI maximum possible for GDPR breaches
Compliance Week: French DPA latest to fine Clearview AI over GDPR violations
Noise cameras set to be trialled across England to tackle "noisy" drivers
The UK is set to commence with trials of noise-detecting cameras to help identify and track drivers who loudly rev their engines and use modified exhausts. This is part of an effort to tackle noise pollution on the loudest streets in Britain and help tackle the £10 billion in health costs due to the effects of this driving.
Rac: Noise camera trials to take place across England to tackle 'boy racers'
Texas sues Google for collecting biometric data without consent
Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, claiming they violated state consumer protection law by collecting citizens' facial and voice recognition data without consent. He alleges Google violated citizens’ privacy as Google’s Photos application, Nest camera, and Google Assistant scanned and processed user and non-user biometric data without understanding or consent.
The Guardian: Texas sues Google for allegedly using people’s faces and voices without consent
The New York Times: Texas Sues Google for Collecting Biometric Data Without Consent
Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman argues that police shouldn’t choose when to delete bodycam footage
Petri Jääskeläinen, Finland’s Parliamentary Ombudsman, has argued that current rules which enable police officers to independently decide whether to save or delete body camera footage are legally problematic. The Ombudsman argues that this can give officers the chance to remove parts of the footage that can complicate later reviewing the footage, particularly if allegations or complaints are made about officers.
Yle: Police option to delete bodycam video is legally problematic, Ombudsman says
AI Snippet of the Week
AI could be used to diagnose illnesses through your voice
The National Institutes of Health is currently funding a research project to develop AI that could diagnose people based on their speech. The technology could analyse vocal chord vibrations and breathing patterns to determine neurological disorders, voice disorders, and respiratory illnesses.
NPR: Artificial intelligence could soon diagnose illness based on the sound of your voice
Policy Updates
The UK government set to start putting together AI governance regulation
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has begun an inquiry into how AI is governed in the UK, with plans to ensure it is used responsibly and ethically. This inquiry looks to also scrutinise the proposed plans by the government and whether it is the correct approach to take, particularly in regard to algorithmic bias and transparency in AI deployment.
Computer Weekly: Parliamentary committee launches inquiry into AI governance
To subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter, please click here
Thanks for reading, if you have any suggestions for topics or content that you want to see covered in future please drop a note to: info@secureredact.co.uk