{"id":628206,"date":"2024-07-19T17:28:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T14:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/businesses-are-harvesting-our-biometric-data-we-need-new-protections\/"},"modified":"2024-07-19T17:28:51","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T14:28:51","slug":"businesses-are-harvesting-our-biometric-data-we-need-new-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/businesses-are-harvesting-our-biometric-data-we-need-new-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"#Businesses are harvesting our biometric data. We need new protections"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41dea4d2d91\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41dea4d2d91\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/businesses-are-harvesting-our-biometric-data-we-need-new-protections\/#Legislation_and_awareness\" >Legislation and awareness<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\nImagine walking through a bustling railway station. You\u2019re in a hurry, weaving through the crowd, unaware that cameras are not just watching you but also recognising you.<\/p>\n<p>These days, our biometric data is valuable to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aidataanalytics.network\/business-intelligence\/articles\/how-companies-like-disney-and-nike-use-biometrics\">businesses<\/a> for security purposes, to enhance customer experience or to improve their own efficiency.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsc.gov.uk\/collection\/biometrics\/understanding-biometrics\">Biometrics<\/a>\u00a0are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ieeexplore.ieee.org\/abstract\/document\/9306779\">unique physical or behavioural traits<\/a>\u00a0and are part of our everyday lives. Among these, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/21\/15\/5068\">facial recognition<\/a> is the most common.<\/p>\n<p>Facial recognition <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> stems from a branch of AI called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/topics\/computer-vision\">computer vision<\/a> and is akin to giving sight to computers. The technology scans images or videos from devices including CCTV cameras and picks out faces.<\/p>\n<p>The system typically identifies and maps <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@ragilprasetyo310\/simple-face-recognition-with-facial-landmark-k-nearest-neighbors-ad5ae733adba\">68 specific points<\/a> known as facial landmarks. These create a digital fingerprint of your face, enabling the system to recognise you in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>Face landmarks include the corners of the eyes, the tip of the nose and the edges of the lips. They help to create a mathematical representation of the face without storing the entire image, enhancing both privacy and efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>From supermarkets to car parks and railway stations, CCTV cameras are everywhere, silently doing their job. But what exactly is their job now?<\/p>\n<p>Businesses may justify collecting biometric data, but with power comes responsibility and the use of facial recognition raises significant transparency, ethical, and privacy concerns.<\/p>\n<p>When even <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2022\/oct\/27\/live-facial-recognition-police-study-uk\">police<\/a> use of facial recognition can be deemed unethical, then the business justification becomes less convincing, especially as little is known about how businesses store, manage, and use data.<\/p>\n<p>Capturing and storing biometric data without consent could violate <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/analysis-opinion\/how-ai-threatens-civil-rights-and-economic-opportunities\">our rights<\/a>, including protection against surveillance and retention of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/met-police-biometrics-watchdog-personal-data\/\">personal images<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Balancing safety, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.railtechnologymagazine.com\/articles\/new-contactless-technology-eurostar-aims-speed-check-process\">efficiency<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbestechcouncil\/2023\/08\/02\/beyond-just-ethics-the-implications-of-biometrics-and-data-privacy\/\">privacy rights<\/a> is a complex ethical choice for businesses.<\/p>\n<p>As consumers, we may often be reluctant to share our personal information. Yet facial recognition poses more serious risks, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iyiOVUbsPcM\">deepfakes<\/a> and other impersonation threats.<\/p>\n<p>Take for instance the recent revelation that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/travel\/news-and-advice\/rail-ai-cameras-train-stations-b2565337.html\">Network Rail<\/a> has been secretly monitoring thousands of passengers using Amazon\u2019s AI software. This surveillance highlights a critical issue: the need for transparency and stringent regulations, even when a company is watching us to improve its services. A Network Rail spokesperson said: \u201cWhen we deploy technology, we work with the police and security services to ensure that we\u2019re taking proportionate action, and we always comply with the relevant legislation regarding the use of surveillance technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the core challenges is the issue of consent. How can the public ever give informed consent if they are constantly monitored by cameras and unaware of who is storing and using their biometric data?<\/p>\n<p>This fundamental problem underscores the difficulty in resolving privacy concerns. Businesses face the daunting task of obtaining clear, informed consent from people who might not even know they are being observed.<\/p>\n<p>Without transparent practices and explicit consent mechanisms, it\u2019s nearly impossible to ensure that the public is truly aware of and agrees to the use of their biometric data.<\/p>\n<p>Think about your digital security. If your password gets stolen, you can change it. If your credit card is compromised, you can cancel it. But your face? That\u2019s permanent. Biometric data is incredibly sensitive because it cannot be altered once it\u2019s compromised. This makes it a high-stakes <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> when it comes to security.<\/p>\n<p>If a database is breached, hackers could misuse this data for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2019\/aug\/14\/major-breach-found-in-biometrics-system-used-by-banks-uk-police-and-defence-firms\">identity theft, fraud, or even harassment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another issue is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2023\/09\/eliminating-algorithmic-bias-is-just-the-beginning-of-equitable-ai#:%7E:text=Algorithmic%20bias%20occurs%20when%20algorithms,criminal%20justice%2C%20and%20credit%20scoring\">algorithmic bias and discrimination<\/a>. If data is used for decision-making, how can companies ensure that diverse and sufficient data is included to train the algorithm?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/605756\/original\/file-20240709-17-an0h8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"facial landmarks on a young black man\"\/><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Algorithms should include a diverse set of facial landmarking data.<\/span><br \/><span class=\"attribution\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/face-portrait-young-african-american-man-2291135381\">Frame Stock Footage\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Companies might use biometric data for authentication, personalised marketing, employee monitoring, and access control. There is a significant risk of gender and racial biases if the algorithm is primarily trained on data from a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sitn.hms.harvard.edu\/flash\/2020\/racial-discrimination-in-face-recognition-technology\/\">homogenous group<\/a>, such as white males.<\/p>\n<p>Companies should also be ensuring that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/enabling-responsible-access-to-demographic-data-to-make-ai-systems-fairer\/report-enabling-responsible-access-to-demographic-data-to-make-ai-systems-fairer\">digital bias<\/a> is not perpetuated. Failing to do so may lead to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbestechcouncil\/2023\/07\/19\/unveiling-the-role-of-ai-algorithms-unmasking-societal-inequities-and-cultural-prejudices\/\">societal inequalities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legislation_and_awareness\"><\/span>Legislation and awareness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As facial recognition becomes more common, the need for robust legislation becomes urgent. Laws must mandate clear consent before capturing anyone\u2019s biometric data. They should also set strict standards for how this data is stored and secured to prevent breaches.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s equally crucial that the public becomes more aware of the issue. While people are becoming more conscious about data protection, facial recognition often flies under the radar. It\u2019s invisible in our everyday lives, and many don\u2019t realise the risks and ethical issues. Educating the public is vital.<\/p>\n<p>Incorporating the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/azure\/machine-learning\/concept-responsible-ai?view=azureml-api-2\">principles of responsible AI<\/a> into the deployment of facial recognition technology would be a good place to start. Responsible AI emphasises fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics. This means that AI systems, including facial recognition, should be designed and used in ways that respect human rights, privacy, and dignity.<\/p>\n<p>However, businesses might not necessarily prioritise these principles if they are not being held accountable by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/striking-the-balance-upholding-the-7-principles-in-regulation\">regulatory bodies or the public<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Transparency is a cornerstone of responsible AI. If organisations using facial recognition remain secretive about their practices, we cannot trust them with our biometric data.<\/p>\n<p>Companies armed with only your personal information can be very powerful in terms of manipulative marketing. It takes only <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2017\/nov\/13\/facebook-likes-targeted-advertising-psychological-persuasion-academics-research\">\u201cone like\u201d<\/a> for bespoke campaigns to target you very accurately.<\/p>\n<p>Now political parties such as the PTI in Pakistan have embraced <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-67752610\">vision-AI technology<\/a> to allow leader Imran Khan to campaign despite serving a prison sentence.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/EgoWcCxh4mU\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">AI allowed Imran Khan to address his followers from prison.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Visual data capturing and analysis are particularly critical compared to non-visual data because they provide richer, more intimate, and more im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te insights into human behaviour and identity.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why its growing use by businesses raises so many concerns about privacy and consent. While the public remains unaware of the extent to which their visual data is being captured and utilised, their information will be vulnerable to misuse or exploitation.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/234049\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/234049\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p><em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/kamran-mahroof-1244774\">Kamran Mahroof<\/a>, Associate Professor, Supply Chain Analytics, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-bradford-911\">University of Bradford<\/a>; <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/amizan-omar-1546212\">Amizan Omar<\/a>, Associate Professor of Strategic Management, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-bradford-911\">University of Bradford<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/irfan-mehmood-1538268\">Irfan Mehmood<\/a>, Associate Professor in Business Analytics, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-bradford-911\">University of Bradford<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/businesses-are-harvesting-our-biometric-data-the-public-needs-assurances-on-security-234049\">original article<\/a>.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/businesses-harvesting-biometric-data-need-protections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine walking through a bustling railway station. You\u2019re in a hurry, weaving through the crowd, unaware that cameras are not just watching you but also recognising you. These days, our biometric data is valuable to businesses for security purposes, to enhance customer experience or to improve their own efficiency. Biometrics\u00a0are unique physical or behavioural traits\u00a0and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":628207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2024%2F07%2FDesigner-1.jpeg&signature=fec86b2cc281901ae84d26955b93ef18","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-628206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}