A new FRA report on the fundamental rights implications of the collection, storage and use of biometric data in EU IT systems in the area of asylum and migration has now been published. Under watchful eyes – biometrics, EU IT-systems and fundamental rights identifies a number of fundamental rights issues that must be taken into account when further operationalising such systems as part of border management procedures:
- Providing information in an understandable and transparent manner
- Respecting human dignity when taking fingerprints
- Fingerprinting in a child-friendly and child-sensitive manner
- Optimising the use of IT systems to trace missing children
- Ensuring that industry consults fundamental rights experts when designing new solutions
- Strong safeguards to prevent unlawful access to data
- Ensuring respect for the right to seek asylum
- Prohibiting the transfer of data to third countries
- Evaluating carefully how access by law enforcement affects fundamental rights
- Applying apprehension policies in line with fundamental rights -Improving data quality
- Effectively exercising the right of access, correction and deletion of personal data
FRC members contributed to the fieldwork conducted in Belgium in 2016, with interviews, non-participant observation and surveys carried out with practitioners, rights holders and experts.