China ‘world’s worst’ for invasive use of biometric data
- Study ranks 50 countries on how extensively they use facial recognition and other biological tools as well as privacy protections for individuals
- China scores maximum points on every measure except one
China has been ranked the world’s No 1 for its extensive and invasive use of biometric data, while the US came in at No 4, according to a study of 50 countries by pro-consumer technology website Comparitech.
Malaysia and Pakistan came in second and third, while Ireland and Portugal were rated the best at protecting biometric data, which includes fingerprinting, facial recognition, DNA, iris recognition, palm prints and other methods of identification or access control.
In its report released on Wednesday, Comparitech analysed how biometric data was being collected, used and stored using a 25-point system to measure its prevalence in areas such as passports, banks, identity cards, and voting systems, as well as whether laws were in place to protect the information.
The higher the score, the more extensive and invasive a country’s use of biometric data, Comparitech said. China scored the highest with 24 points, losing just one for its lack of a biometric voting system.
Malaysia and Pakistan each scored 21, while the United States came in at 20 points. In contrast, Ireland and Portugal had the lowest scores of 11 points, followed by Cyprus, Britain and Romania, which each scored 12.