FTC warns businesses to risk assess uses of biometric technologies

Businesses that make false or unsubstantiated claims regarding facial recognition and other biometric technologies could face enforcement from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency warned Thursday.

Use of biometric information technologies has proliferated to collect personal information about people, including their age, gender, race and heritage, and even their overall demeanor, the FTC said in a 12-page policy statement.

This collection poses new privacy risks for consumers, who might be unaware their data is being gathered and have no way to avoid the practice, said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a press release.