DPA submission - Biometrics consultation

DPA made a submission to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to the consultation on the use of biometrics.

The use of biometric programmes such as iris scanning, fingerprint reading and facial recognition, particularly when used to provide access to services and information, can pose significant barriers to many disabled people.

Biometric systems also raise further issues such as the possibility that biometrics could be used to label someone as disabled without their permission, an abuse of personal agency and privacy.

DPA recommends:

That the disabled community are involved in policy and decision making around biometrics;
That new standards for algorithm accessibility are devised and implemented;
That disabled people are involved in the design and assessment of biometric systems;
That rules about transparency, the ability to override or replace biometric systems when they fail to correctly understand a disabled person’s actions or input, be devised and implemented;
That the Office of the Privacy Commissioner monitor the adverse effects of biometric programmes on disabled people and take action to reduce or eliminate them.

Read DPA's full submission to the Biometrics Consultation [Word Doc]