Facial recognition

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) issued an Opinion regarding the use of facial recognition technologies by airport operators and airlines to streamline passenger flow. The Opinion, prompted by a request from the French Data Protection Authority, emphasizes the need for maximum control by individuals over their biometric data due to significant privacy risks. It finds that only storage solutions where biometric data is kept by individuals or encrypted centrally with keys in individuals’ hands are compliant with GDPR principles of data protection by design and security. Less intrusive alternatives should be sought to avoid excessive data processing.