Legislation
IBIA Vice-Chairman’s Statements On Florida’s Student Biometrics Ban
Florida’s Governor signed off on Bill 188, prohibiting the collection of student biometric data in schools. The road to this broad sweeping decision has been a long one, and despite resistance from organizations like the International Biometric and Identity Association (IBIA), technophobia seems to have prevailed over the promise of safety, efficiency and security. “a […]
U.S. Congressman From Texas Introduces Bill To Protect Personal Biometric Information
Texas Congressman Steve Stockman introduced H.R. 4381, the Biometric Information Privacy Act. It would protect a consumer’s personal physiological biometric information from being passed onto third parties. Biometric data include personal identifying information such as DNA, fingerprints, retinal scans, or facial scanning, converted into binary code. “Consumers should not have to worry about third parties […]
Florida Lawmakers Send Bill To Governor To Ban Biometrics In Schools
(Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to Florida Lawmakers To Consider Banning Biometrics In Schools) – A bill that would ban Florida school districts from using biometrics —such as iris, retina, fingerprint, and palm scans— is poised to become law. Senate Bill 188, known as the biometrics bill, is sponsored by state Sen. Dorothy L. […]
Idaho Biometric Protection Bill To Get Full Debate
Biometric protection bill to get full debate BOISE — Businesses that collect and use hair samples, finger prints and retina scans to identify their customers could face tough sanctions for inappropriately handling such material, under a measure headed to the Idaho House. The State Affairs Committee Tuesday morning approved new privacy standards for full debate. Republican Rep. Ed Morse of Hayden Lake fears technological advances in collecting biometric information have outstripped laws governing how that information can be used. Morse says his bill, which carries with it fines of $1,000 for abusing biometric data including selling it without permission, helps "level the playing field." Though garbage companies collect trash with traces of DNA, the bill leaves them alone. And though this measure deals with the private sector, Morse says governments’ collection of data remains "fertile ground" for future regulation. Print
Source www.ktvb.com
As Facial Regulation Technology Is Poised For Everyday Life, Regulators Express Concern
Lexology author: Camille Calman Recent news stories have highlighted the negative privacy implications of facial recognition technology. For example, a new app for Google Glass will pair facial recognition with data from social media and dating sites, allowing users to instantly see personal information about strangers they pass on the street. (Though Google does not permit facial recognition software to be used on its Google Glass platform, the app could be used on jailbroken Google Glass devices.) Forbes reports that Senator Al Franken has written to the app developer to express deep concern and ask it to delay the app’s launch, or at least require people to opt in before their data is displayed to others. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that some retail stores and airports already use facial recognition technology, and other such uses are on the way. The Times quotes Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau, as saying, “This is another reason that we need omnibus privacy legislation.” On Feb. 6, 2014, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the Department of Commerce, held the first in a series of meetings about the commercial use of facial recognition technology. The more than 120 attendees included representatives from business, advertising, and government as well as privacy advocates. Seven additional meetings are scheduled between February and June of this year. The NTIA hopes that the meetings will lead to a voluntary code of conduct. It’s clear that facial recognition involves a […]
Source www.lexology.com
Florida Lawmakers To Consider Banning Biometrics In Schools
TALLAHASSEE — Polk County parents were apoplectic last year when they discovered the school district had been scanning the irises of students’ eyes without parental permission. The controversial practice might soon be banned. On Tuesday, state lawmakers will take up a proposal that would prohibit school districts from collecting biometric information, including the characteristics of fingerprints, hands, eyes and the voice. It would affect the Pinellas County school district, which allows schools to scan the palms of students’ hands instead of accepting cash in the cafeteria, and school systems that use fingerprint scanners. “We’ve been able to get kids through a lunch line for decades,” said state Sen. Dorothy Hukill, a Port Orange Republican who brought the idea to the Florida Senate. “Why do we need to take their biometric information when we know there is the potential for identity theft?” But the idea may meet resistance from local school boards, some of which want the flexibility to create their own policies. “Biometrics is coming,” said Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado, who spearheaded an effort to create a local biometrics policy this month. “It exists in the market. It will exist in our schools. It may end up being a viable way to ensure there isn’t fraud.” Broward school officials said there is no district-wide use of biometrics. The measure being considered by the Florida Legislature is part of a larger bill meant to address concerns over student data security. For years, Florida schools have used student achievement […]
Source www.bradenton.com
Police Car Dash-Cam Bill Didn’t Deserve To Die
There may be good reasons, sometimes, for a governor to veto a bill. Unfortunately, we don’t know of a good reason why Gov. Chris Christie would “pocket veto” legislation requiring all new police vehicles to be equipped with a dashboard video recording device. And, we do know a lot of reasons why this measure should have been signed into law. The bill, A-4193, in the just-ended legislative session, was sponsored by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, D-4th Dist., following Moriarty’s personal experience with an apparently bogus traffic violation. Charged in his Washington Township hometown with drunken driving by a local officer who had a long history with the lawmaker, Moriarty was able to establish his innocence when the officer’s own video camera revealed what really happened. But having a camera in a police car is about more than just supporting the testimony of an officer or helping a citizen escape a bad rap. Passersby caught on camera may turn out to be potential witnesses to a crime. Cars driving erratically at one moment may be involved in a hit and run moments later. In an era when every mom-and-pop store has security cameras and every other grandmother carries a phone that shoots video, there’s really no excuse for failing to install and use cameras in police cruisers. Moriarty’s bill even established a funding mechanism through a surcharge on drunk-driving fines. Unfortunately, the bill doesn’t require retrofitting of older patrol cars with cameras, just their installation in newly purchased vehicles. It will […]
Source www.nj.com
CO State Lawmakers Want To Restrict How Long Governmental Surveillance Can Be Kept On Citizens
DENVER – Republican lawmakers at the state Capitol want to send "Big Brother" to his room. Legislation being proposed would require government entities to purge their surveillance video and images within six months of the recording. According to the bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Polly Lawrence, R-Roxborough Park, this is in direct response to surveillance concerns at the federal level. "It has really been brought to our attention with the NSA and their surveillance techniques and their data collection on everyone across the United States," said Lawrence. "I don’t think the government should be surveilling its citizens and retaining that information indefinitely." Government surveillance can include security cameras at state or local buildings, H.A.L.O. cameras, photo red light, photo radar and toll collection devices. Her proposal is to make sure government entities are not keeping tabs on citizens unnecessarily. "If we hadn’t had that in Boston, we wouldn’t have found the Boston bombers, but do we need to let the government retain that information indefinitely," said Lawrence. "Surveillance helped protect me in a significant way. My life would be very different without the vindication of that video," said Shawn Johnson. A downtown H.A.L.O. camera captured Denver police beating Johnson and his friend, Michael DeHerrera, in April 2009. "The surveillance helped our case significantly. It changed the narrative, it gave us a voice," said Johnson. Denver Police saved the video as part of the investigation. Denver Police policy is to purge H.A.L.O. recordings after 30 days, unless the recording is needed […]
Source www.thedenverchannel.com
Wisconsin’s Rep Larson Introduces Bill Preventing Schools From Collecting Biometric Data
Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax) introduced a bill barring schools from collecting or using students’ biometric data, such as blood pressure, without their parents’ or guardians’ consent. No school district in Wisconsin is known to engage in these practices. In fact, no Wisconsin law exists regarding the collection or usage of biometric data one way or another, but times are changing fast. “As technology and teaching methods evolve, who can say what’s coming ten, twenty or thirty years down the road?” Larson asked. Larson said his bill is about preventing a potential problem. “I believe the legislature owes it to students and their families to be proactive and address the issue of biometric data before it can become a problem.” Larson introduced the bill in response to a recommendation from the Assembly Select Committee on Common Core Standards.
Source chippewa.com
Michigan Bill Would Mandate Night Safety Measures Including Security Cameras
Jessia Heeringa was abducted from the gas station where she worked on April 26, 2013. There were no surveillance cameras. (file photos) LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) – It has been more than seven months since Jessica Heeringa was abducted from her job, and now a Michigan representative is making a push to prevent similar incidents. Monday, Rep. Collene Lamonte (D-Montague) will introduce a bill to require gas stations that stay open past 11 p.m. to either have two employees working or install security cameras. Surveillance video is one key thing missing from the night of April 26 when Heeringa, a 25-year-old mother, disappeared from the Sternberg Road Exxon Mobil gas station in Norton Shores near the end of her shift. There were no surveillance cameras at the gas station. The case prompted Rep. Lamonte to start drafting on the bill. “This tragic event did highlight an issue that I think needs to be addressed and I want to make sure that our late-night employees are protected,” Lamonte told 24 Hour News 8 in May. Lamonte will join 24 Hour News 8 live Monday morning on Daybreak to discuss the bill. In July, Heeringa’s 26th birthday passed and she remained missing. Norton Shores detectives continue to investigate Heeringa’s case, but said six months after the abduction that solid tips have become few and far between. The reward for information leading to Heeringa stands at more than $15,000. Anyone with information about Heeringa’s disappearance or who saw anything out of the ordinary […]
Source www.woodtv.com
SIA Technology Insights E-Version Released
The digital version of SIA Technology Insights publication is now available on the Security Industry Association (SIA) website. SIA Technology Insights provides original, exclusive, vendor-neutral analyses of emerging security technologies from industry leaders. Produced with the end user in mind, the publication is intended to help chief security officers, security directors and others learn about […]
Police State USA
For the first time ever, Congress has decided has crafted a piece of legislation that determines whether or not a person is a journalist, in a bill designed to give federal protection to journalists and bloggers from being forced to disclose the identities of their confidential sources. This would mean that before the government could ask a news organization or a journalist to identify their sources, it must first go to a federal judge, who would supervise any subpoenas or court orders for the information. But the legislation comes with a catch. In order for a person to be protected under the bill, one must first meet the criteria for being termed a “journalist” — and even then, journalists will not be protected in all situations. Though freedom of speech, which includes the printed word, is protected under the First Amendment, media shield laws are supposed to go above and beyond in terms of protecting a journalist from being forced to disclose confidential information and sources. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 , on Thursday in a 13-5 vote . Though most states have their own media shield laws, they vary in terms of protections for reporters. If the legislation passes, this would be the first federal media shield law. At the urging of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee defined what they considered “journalism” as well as who qualified to be labeled as a “journalist.” Feinstein said legal protection […]
Ohio: Should Facial Recognition Be Limited?
Criminal justice experts who have been tapped to advise Attorney General Mike DeWine are already asking questions about potential restrictions to Ohio?s new facial recognition system. Ahead of their first meeting Tuesday, The Enquirer surveyed members of DeWine?s new advisory group ? judges, police, a prosecutor, a public defender and a coroner. None of the […]