What Are We Trading for the Convenience of Biometric Access?
Aug 1, 2025
This week, we zoom in on biometric data—where convenience meets control, and the lines between identity, consent, and surveillance get blurry
One Research Paper
This paper examines how immersive technologies in the Metaverse—such as VR/AR headsets with eye, face, and motion tracking—challenge core GDPR principles, particularly around biometric data, profiling, and consent as well as underscoring gaps in current regulatory guidance.
One YouTube Video
In this video, tech columnist Nicole Nguyen explains how facial recognition is quietly becoming the default at concerts, airports, and stadiums. She discusses how the patchwork of laws affects user control, why bias in recognition systems remains a risk, and how “opting out” may become increasingly difficult.
One Article
With iris scans at the core of its “proof-of-personhood” model, Worldcoin case study illustrated the tensions between innovation, informed consent, and regulatory scrutiny. This article offers a grounded look at how biometric systems can erode user agency.
One Resource
The ICO’s guidance goes beyond checklists. It asks not just whether organisations can use biometric recognition—but whether they should. With sharp focus on necessity, proportionality, and power imbalance, it’s a reality check on the risks of normalising surveillance as convenience.
One Remedy
In testimony to Congress, NIST spotlighted differential privacy as a promising tool for protecting biometric data—suggesting it could enable useful analysis of iris scans or facial images without exposing individual identities.
