UK’s Biometrics Ethics Group Gets Six New Members

The United Kingdom’s Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group has found its newest appointees. They include Giles Herdale of Herdale Digital Consulting; Matt James, an associate professor of bioethics and medical law; Criminal Law Commissioner Penney Lewis; cybersecurity consultant Elisabeth Mackay; Malcolm Oswald, the Director of the group Citizens Juries; and Marion Oswald, a university professor and Senior Research Associate at the Alan Turing Institute.

Formed in 2017 as a successor to the National DNA Database Ethics Group, the BFEG’s primary role is to provide independent ethical advice on the collection, use, and retention of biometric and forensic materials, including DNA, fingerprints, and facial recognition data. The group typically comprises experts from various fields, including ethics, law, science, and technology, who collaborate to provide well-rounded advice to the government and relevant stakeholders.

About 30 percent of the group’s work is self-initiated by its members, while 70 percent is in response to requests from the Home Office. The BFEG has the authority to publish its findings and recommendations without needing prior approval from the Home Office, ensuring transparency in its operations.

About a year ago, the Home Office announced that it would begin searching for six new members to join the BFEG. At the time, it said it was looking for individuals from areas including law, medical ethics, data ethics, social sciences, and AI.

The effort may have been motivated, at least in part, by the anticipated closure of the office of the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, whose functions would be subsumed into other government agencies with the expected passage of a proposed “Data Protection and Digital Information Bill”.

This year, that bill fell, along with other legislation before Parliament, due to a snap election that cancelled all parliamentary business. Tony Eastaugh, who had been appointed Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner to oversee the closure of the office, announced his resignation last week.

Source: GOV.UK

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August 16, 2024 – by Alex Perala