The Privacy Commissioner is asking the public to have a say on how biometric information is collected and used.
The move could lead to new regulations.
Photo: 123RF/ Oleshko Artem
Biometrics is a huge growth field worldwide for using cameras and computers to identify people by their face, iris, fingerprints – or even how they walk.
New Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said there was growing concern over the likes of facial recognition.
Biometric tech could boost convenience, efficiency and security, he said in a statement.
“But they can also create significant risks, including risks relating to surveillance and profiling, lack of transparency and control, and accuracy, bias and discrimination.”
He has put out a consultation paper; one aim is to learn more from te ao Māori perspective about protections for tangata whenua.
Consultation is open till 30 September.
The speed of technological change can be seen in that this move aims to update biometrics guidelines put out just 10 months ago.
“Technology and privacy don’t need to be mutually exclusive, but organisations using biometrics do need to have appropriate safeguards and protocols,” Webster said.
The commissioner aims to put out the findings and a proposed regulatory approach by the end of 2022.
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