biometric data
What It Means
Biometric data is any information about a person's physical features or behaviors that can uniquely identify them, like fingerprints, face scans, voice patterns, or even how they type or walk. This data gets processed by technology systems to create digital templates that can recognize or verify who someone is. Unlike passwords or ID cards, biometric data is permanently tied to a person's body and cannot be changed if compromised.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Biometric data creates significant legal liability since it's considered highly sensitive personal information under privacy laws like GDPR and state regulations like Illinois' BIPA, with potential fines reaching millions of dollars. AI systems that collect, process, or store biometric data require special security controls, explicit user consent, and careful data governance to avoid regulatory violations. The permanent nature of biometric data means security breaches can cause irreversible harm to individuals and massive reputational damage to companies.
Real-World Example
A retail company implements AI-powered facial recognition cameras to prevent shoplifting, but fails to post proper notices or obtain consent from customers entering the store. Under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act, they face potential class-action lawsuits with damages of $1,000-$5,000 per person scanned, which could result in millions in liability even though they thought they were just using standard security technology.
Common Confusion
Many people think biometric data only refers to obvious things like fingerprints or face scans, but it actually includes behavioral patterns like typing rhythms, walking gait, and even voice characteristics that AI can extract from regular business interactions. Organizations often don't realize they're collecting biometric data when they use AI tools that analyze how users interact with their systems.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, biometric data enables secure patient identification, access control to medical facilities and systems, a...
Finance: In finance, biometric data enables secure customer authentication for digital banking, payment systems, and account acce...
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- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"personal data resulting from specific technical processing relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person, such as facial images or dactyloscopic data;"Source: GDPR
"an individual’s physiological, biological, or behavioral characteristics, including information pertaining to an individual’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), that is used or is intended to be used singly or in combination with each other or with other identifying data, to establish individual identity. Biometric information includes, but is not limited to, imagery of the iris, retina, fingerprint, face, hand, palm, vein patterns, and voice recordings, from which an identifier template, such as a faceprint, a minutiae template, or a voiceprint, can be extracted, and keystroke patterns or rhythms, gait patterns or rhythms, and sleep, health, or exercise data that contain identifying information."Source: CCPA
"A measurable physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an applicant. Facial images, fingerprints, and iris scan samples are all examples of biometrics."Source: SP800-12
Related Terms
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