People and their representatives are rightly concerned about how biometric systems are used. This week while reading all the industry news I came across this article – CCIA Testifies On Maryland Biometric Privacy Proposal, Submits Written Comments On Biometric, Childrens, And Health Privacy Bills.
So what is BIPA? It is the Biometric Information Privacy Act that Illinois passed several years ago requiring any capturing of a biometric information in a template and in samples must get the subjects explicit consent. If companies don’t they face really large fines. White Castle just might have a $17billion dollar fine for violations over 10 years.
Industry associations like the Computer & Communications Industry Association are pushing back against these measures. This is their job to lobby on behalf of their members. Here is what they said.
The following can be attributed to CCIA State Policy Director Khara Boender:
“We share Maryland legislators’ concern about protecting biometric privacy and request that measures to address this important issue provide enough lead time for responsible sites to comply. We also recommend directing protections toward high-risk practices and aligning key definitions with privacy standards to encourage harmonization across state laws and aid compliance.”
“Privacy is particularly important for health data and for children online. While CCIA supports privacy measures tailored to specific age groups and the handling of more sensitive health data, the bills legislators are considering should prioritize ways to enable responsible companies to provide effective protections rather than introducing punitive models with private rights of action that, in other states, have opened the floodgates to costly lawsuits.”
– CCIA Blog
I am hoping that organizations like CCIA can actually come to the Thoughtful Biometrics Workshop on March 16th and talk together with folks who are concerned about biometrics usage by the private sector and by government.