Italy’s government, DPA argue over legality of face biometrics retention plan
Italy's government and its data protection authority are in dispute over a plan to retain facial biometric data, with the two bodies holding conflicting positions on whether the practice is legal.
Why this matters: Face biometrics are not like passwords. You cannot change your face if something goes wrong. When a government wants to store them, the stakes are permanent. Italy's data protection authority exists precisely to push back on plans like this. The fact that it is openly clashing with the government is the system working as designed. Whether the government backs down or pushes through matters for everyone whose face could end up in a state database.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · AI governance · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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