We leave breadcrumbs of biometric information scattered around
our daily lives, which may be collected and used by private
entities, often without our knowledge or consent. The sound of your
voice when you call your bank's customer service line. The
fingerprint you scan to unlock your cell phone. Your smiling face
in a photograph posted to your favorite social networking site.
These are examples of biometric data – measurements of
your physical presence that can be used to identify you remotely.
Biometric measures are becoming much more important as data becomes
digitized and as we need to authenticate ourselves in more remote
applications and circumstances.
For years, the collection and use of individuals' biometric
information has been nearly unregulated. Granted, unique biometric
identifiers, like fingerprints, are typically included in the
category of personal information covered by many states'
privacy laws, but proponents of more stringent
