Wendy Davis writes:
A proposed biometric privacy bill in Montana is drawing support from the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, which argues that new laws are needed to protect people from privacy threats posed by facial recognition technology.
“Cameras are increasingly accurate at long distances, and facial recognition algorithms are increasingly able to match images against each other,” the organization writes in a letter to Montana lawmakers. “Once captured, it is easy for someone to use our biometrics against us.”
The potential Montana law (HB 518) would require companies to obtain people’s written permission before collecting, sharing or using biometric identifiers like faceprints, retinal scans and voice patterns.
Read more on MediaPost PolicyBlog.
In related news, Chris Corum reports that in addition to Montana, four other states are also trying to address issues raised by biometrics. Corum reports that:
- Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) prohibits companies from using biometrics without obtaining prior written consent and outlining types, duration and more during use. We’ve already seen lawsuits filed under this law.
- Alaska’s HB 72, Montana’s HB 518, and New Hampshire’s HB 523 are similar in scope to Illinois’s bill, and also permit a right to sue violators.
- Texas has law that does not allow for private lawsuits to be filed against companies. Washington’s HB 1493 is similar to Texas’s in that respect.
- Connecticut’s HB 5522 focuses only on the use of facial recognition for marketing purposes.
Read more on SecureIDNews.