Jump in Facial and Voice Recognition Raises Privacy, Cybersecurity, Civil Liberty Concerns

The use of biometric technologies, such as facial recognition and voiceprint, is rapidly expanding in various sectors, including law enforcement. While these technologies offer numerous benefits, they also pose significant data privacy, cybersecurity risks, and civil liberty concerns.

Law enforcement has used facial recognition technology for around 20 years, but its accuracy and consistency have been questioned. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven broader use of this technology, with thermal cameras and similar devices embedded with facial recognition capabilities being used for virus screening. Voice recognition technology has also seen massive growth due to the surge of AI and machine learning across various devices.

With the expanding use of biometrics, more regulations have been enacted, leading to compliance and litigation risks. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is one of the most well-known laws regulating biometric information. It protects biometric identifiers and information, establishing rules for companies collecting such data from state residents. However, there has been an uptick in hackers trying to trick facial recognition technology, leading to fraudulent claims for government benefits. There are also growing concerns regarding the accuracy and biases of the technology, with a study finding that most algorithms exhibit bias, falsely identifying Asian and Black faces more than White faces.

Organizations that collect, use, and store biometric data face increasing compliance obligations. It is crucial for them to maintain a robust privacy and data protection program to ensure compliance and minimize business and litigation risks.