National Science and Technology Council

Privacy & Biometrics: Building a Conceptual Foundation National Science and Technology Council

The discrete fields of privacy and biometrics each have a rich history and an exciting, robust, present day status. Both disciplines are dynamic and multimodal. The current state of each is ever-changing and accelerating, and presents both promise and questions regarding its impact on individuals and societies. Much has been written on each topic, covering a breadth of issues and depth of details. Every day, new stories appear of new applications and new theories of both privacy and biometrics. In an effort to complement and support the vibrant growth of both fields, this paper seeks to connect privacy and biometrics at a structural level so that both fields can be understood within a common framework. This paper is specifically not intended as a comprehensive collection of in-depth details about privacy or biometrics. Instead, this paper provides a general overview of both privacy and biometrics and offers a perspective through which to view the convergence of both. The goal is to provide a context in which details and future developments can be placed and better understood. The paper is organized into three primary sections.