US jails adopt continuous biometric monitoring amid data privacy concerns
Jails across the United States are deploying continuous biometric monitoring systems to track incarcerated people, a move that has drawn data privacy concerns from critics. The practice extends surveillance technology into correctional facilities on an ongoing, automated basis rather than through discrete checks.
Why this matters: People in jail have not been convicted of anything. Many are there because they cannot afford bail. Continuous biometric monitoring means their bodies are tracked around the clock, and that data goes somewhere, is stored by someone, and can be used in ways inmates have no say over. The privacy stakes inside jails are real, and the fact that these people have limited ability to object or opt out makes the accountability question more urgent, not less.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · Policy
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