QUESTION
What is the policy on collecting, sharing and storing biometric data by private entities?
3:12:42
·
5 min
Private entities do not buy or sell biometric data as it is proprietary to each technology and cannot be reverse engineered.
- Biometric data is unique to each individual and technology
- While information brokering has happened, members of biometrics associations do not engage in selling biometric data
- Facial recognition systems for residential buildings would require signage and standards on data storage
- For some access control systems, biometric enrollment is voluntary with manual verification for non-enrolled individuals
Jennifer Gutiérrez
3:12:42
Curious if you in in both Robert and Jake instances, are you aware of businesses or private entities that you work with collect and share and even sell biometric data for other marketing or analytics or is it primarily for public safety?
3:13:03
And, Adam, curious on the private dwellings and and residential dwellings.
3:13:10
If they're signage obviously in the buildings and how long is this biometric information stored?
3:13:17
Stored for.
Robert Tappan
3:13:18
Can I just jump in real quick on from my vantage point?
3:13:23
Our members do not buy and sell biometric information.
3:13:27
Number 1, biometric information is something that it can't be reverse engineered.
3:13:34
So it it and it's usually proprietary to each of the different technologies that these companies are developing.
3:13:42
So that's what makes that's the beauty of this biometric information.
3:13:46
It's unique to the individual and it's also unique to the technology.
3:13:51
Second of all, I don't know if you were aware of this, but not too long ago, the state of New York and other jurisdictions all around the country, their state governments were were selling driver's license information So I'm not saying that everybody is guilty of this, but there there is information brokering is is something that has been going on for years years years.
3:14:18
Whether it's right is is not up to me, but it's happening, and it happens on the government side, as well as the corporate or enterprise side.
3:14:28
So not something also it it it it there was a reason that that information was being sold by the state.
3:14:37
It was very, very lucrative.
3:14:40
And governments have to do what they have to do to meet their budgets and so do enterprises.
Jake Parker
3:14:48
Oh, yeah.
3:14:48
I'll just echo what what Robert was was saying.
3:14:51
So the the way the biometric technology works, that information is is useless outside of the system that created it.
3:14:58
And so that's why there isn't a market for, you know, biometric data and that sense.
3:15:04
I wanted to go back to your other question though too regarding arrest.
3:15:08
So I think when you're looking at retail security and loss prevention programs.
3:15:12
Arrest is not the right measurement.
3:15:14
I think you're it's definitely gonna vary by store to store and and in business to business, but it's the reduction in the overall, you know, incidents that they have.
3:15:24
And so most often, this does this involves de escalation, not a call to authorities.
3:15:28
So repeat offenders entering stores are flagged for the goal of providing excellent customer service versus apprehending them, which typically results in fewer businesses or fewer visits by these individuals.
3:15:38
I mean, I've heard anecdotally what, you know, one of one company reported they saw a 90% reduction at their locations after following some or process to that.
3:15:47
Also, it's not just about not just about theft.
3:15:50
There's also public welfare and life safety issues that are uses that are appropriate.
3:15:55
For example, one of our members told me that for their customers reported recovering over a dozen missing children after their customers able to leverage the same technologies in response to Amber alerts and something called Code Adam, which is a missing child safety system using retail stores.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
3:16:15
Thank you.
3:16:16
And
Adam Roberts
3:16:17
Sorry.
3:16:18
And regarding apartment buildings, I mean, I I think an important thing to emphasize about the bills that's currently written is it would ban much more than just I think what we're talking about is biometric technology or facial recognition.
3:16:33
It would ban essentially any video system.
3:16:35
So CCTV, virtual doorman, that would all be made illegal and have to actually be removed.
3:16:40
Again, as the bill is currently written.
3:16:42
So currently, I don't think most buildings have signage saying you're on camera or anything like that.
3:16:48
I think it's just generally socially assume that if you walk into apartment building, there will be some sort of camera monitoring who's entering and exiting.
3:16:57
That being said, I mean, if apartment buildings were to start using facial recognition.
3:17:01
I'm sure there would be some signage put up.
3:17:04
And I mean, we most of our members aren't, at this point, storing biometric data, so I I don't really have a good answer on that.
3:17:12
But again, I I would hope that the council would establish some standards on on how that is done.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
3:17:22
Oh, sorry.
Jake Parker
3:17:23
I had something to that.
3:17:23
This is right.
3:17:25
Yeah.
3:17:25
So our some of our members do do provide these types of systems that you're referring to virtual doorman systems.
3:17:31
So Important to point out that the current data city tenant data privacy law requires the uses of electronic systems be voluntary.
3:17:40
And so if it were to use biometric functionality, which is available, for those enrolled, they preenroll They have automatic access to the camera at the door.
3:17:51
For those that are not enrolled, the system simply reverts back to manual process.
3:17:56
So this could be connected to an operator who takes steps other steps to verify whether the person is a tenant or a guest or a delivery person, something like that.
