As US and EU Commission negotiators work to develop their Privacy Shield agreement on data transfer standards, the International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) has issued a statement calling for a “strong, mutually beneficial, easily understood privacy system” that “will help kindle a sense of trust in matters requiring sharing of critically important data such as biometrics.”
The negotiators announced at the beginning of this month that they had come to terms on the Privacy Shield framework, but the details of the agreement are still being finalized and have not yet been officially announced. As such, it’s still a time of uncertainty for stakeholders, which IBIA Managing Director Tovah LaDier says is “very disruptive to business on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The Privacy Shield negotiations reflect a broader trend of governmental and regulatory authorities struggling to come to terms with the massive proliferation of data taking place across the globe, with the European Banking Authority also currently considering standards relating to data security in electronic payments. In those “PSD2” discussions, another cross-industry consortium, the FIDO Alliance, has also tried to make its voice heard by submitting comments as per the EBA’s invitation to do so.
In that matter and in the Privacy Shield talks, it remains to be seen how responsive authorities will be to the concerns of businesses, security providers, and other stakeholders; but at the very least, all presumably share a basic interest in secure data exchange.
—
February 19, 2016 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us