The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to use photos
from Drivers License images to create facial-recognition databases
in a bid to curb terrorism. The Capability - short for The National
Facial Biometric Matching Capability - will allow law enforcement
and security agencies to search through up to 100 million facial
images held in databases around Australia.
For the past decade the Australian Government has been incrementally
expanding it’s powers in regards to biometric information
and it’s retention. With no passed legislation needed to add Drivers
Licenses to the program, there is little detail known about their
intentions and plans moving forward.
Your facial biometric data can be scanned from a distance without
your knowledge, there is also no legal procedure for notifying if
there has been a data breach and your data has been compromised.
“This is a whole other league of creepy, this is a whole other
league of invasive and the fact that there’s been no discussion
around this is really weird... My concern is that because there’s no
restriction on the way law enforcement can use this, it’s going to
become a staple tool for law enforcement eventually.” cyber security
analyst Patrick Gray said.
Resist Retention pushes for transparency. Biometric data will need
to be used to in a quickly changing digital landscape, but without
the proper framework and communication with citizens the procedure
is a danger to individual freedoms and data security.
Manifesto
This campaign aims to get biometric data retention a seat at the
table. Until there is more details released about The Capability, it’s
retention of data (which can be mapped with the 2015 metadata
retention program) cannot move forward.
The government cannot creep it’s agenda on us incrementally without
explanation and justification.
Request Information
What data will you have? Who has access to it? Will you inform
me if you take my biometric data? What is the governments end
goal of the program? Is the my data safe? Will it be using the
same databases as the census? Will you be chancing parking
fines with this technology?
There are plenty of questions to be answered about The Capability.
Contact your local member and demand details about your private
data. Keep it transparent and let the flow of information be multi
directional.
Resist
The Capability is being moved into effect, until we know more: resist.
Secure your digital identity by covering your devices webcam
and be vigilant to when your data is being used. A measure worthwhile
regardless of Government data retention. Your biometric data
and identity it worth too much to be taken for granted.