Biometric Data

Google has introduced a selfie video verification option for account recovery, raising security and privacy concerns. The feature uses facial recognition to compare videos, but experts warn about deepfake vulnerabilities and the risks of storing biometric data.

Walmart and other retailers are adopting digital price tags, which union officials warn could be used to collect biometric data like facial recognition to charge customers different prices. The technology has raised concerns about potential surveillance and exploitation of shopper data.

A data breach at NYC Health + Hospitals exposed millions of patients' and staff's personal data, including social security numbers, medical records, and biometrics, leading to a class action lawsuit. The suit alleges negligence in data protection, violating HIPAA and FTC guidelines, and claims the hospital system delayed notifying affected individuals.

Meta added face-recognition code to millions of phones as part of its smart glasses platform, designed to identify people using biometric data stored on users' devices. The code was discovered by WIRED and is part of an unreleased system.

Headway Therapy patients must now scan their faces to continue receiving care. The article highlights the use of facial scans and biometric data for identity verification in this context.

ICE is expanding its use of iris recognition technology by deploying hundreds of scanning devices nationwide, raising privacy concerns about a growing biometric database.

Hackers stole personal and medical data, including fingerprints, from NYC Health and Hospitals, affecting at least 1.8 million people in one of the largest breaches of 2026. The breach compromised sensitive biometric information. The New York public healthcare system was targeted.

Oura, a smart ring company, is launching a new feature called Hormonal Birth Control support within its Cycle Insights tool, which tracks how over 20 types of hormonal contraception (e.g., pills, patches, IUDs) affect biometric data like temperature, sleep, and recovery. The update, described as a 'first-of-its-kind experience,' will roll out globally on May 6th.

Sam Altman's 'human verification' company proposes using eye-scanning orbs to combat ticket scalping by verifying human users through biometric data. The technology aims to prevent unauthorized ticket reselling by ensuring only legitimate buyers can access event entries.