A new New York state law prohibits the use of biometric technology in New York state schools until the later of (i) July 1, 2022 or (ii) the Commissioner of Education completes a study and issues a report to facilitate the creation of a comprehensive statewide regulatory system governing the use of such technology. The report is required to consider:

• the privacy implications of collecting, storing, and/or sharing biometric information individuals entering a school
• the potential impact of the use of biometric identifying technology on student rights; and
• whether, and how such technology may be used for school security.

The bill provides a detailed definition of the term biometric information: “any measurable physical, physiological or behavioral characteristics that are attributable to a person, including but not limited to facial characteristics, fingerprint characteristics, hand characteristics, eye characteristics, vocal characteristics, and any other characteristics that can be used to identify a person including, but not limited to: fingerprints; handprints; retina and iris patterns; DNA sequence; voice; gait; and facial geometry.”

Read the full text of the law.

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