Biometric data, a form of baseline parameter utilized in scientific applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, is among the most valuable forms of assets in information gathering. The subset of metadata includes the mapping and recognition of facial features most prominently found in photos and videos. Protecting it from unsolicited use cases, mostly found in the form of online fraud, is key for companies like the New York-based Getty Images.
The photo gallery and online distributor released a set of guidelines on how best to protect users from biometric data theft earlier this week. The release form is rather intriguing in that it highlights key areas where the image industry has mostly failed to act on, specifically identity theft. The digital document provided by Getty Images is meant to focus on said areas and limit the potential in cyberattacks and ransomware via bad parties.
Paul Reinitz, Director of Advocacy and Legal Operations Counsel at Getty Images, tells VentureBeat how its adoption is key to protecting content creators and online figureheads worldwide. "We hope for it to be widely adopted and signed by models who feature in new commercial images and videos on the Getty Images and iStock websites," he says.
The Digital Media Licensing Association also assisted Getty Images in the formation of its privacy-based digital document, adding in concepts for which it knows best. The DMLA primarily focuses on business standards in the area of online video and image content, aiding in the form's detailing of data tracking and personal protection policies when specific parties are affected by stolen biometric data.
Laws in this area of imagery and visual content are still relatively antiquated, but lawsuits are ever on the rise as forms of videographic technology, and their uses evolve. Several lawsuits have arisen over the past few years, specifically in the unsolicited recording of individuals with a video cam feed installed.
As such, privacy in the context of online biometric data and its allocation in this regard should be taken very seriously and is one of the main drivers behind Getty Images' most recent release. Developers are essentially being asked to take into account these very findings and to stop overlooking the concerns as authorization and consent for the use of data is of utmost importance to protecting people's identity online.
Reinitz goes on to explain that both AI and machine learning concepts have dramatically improved due to this very data. He relays, "We must recognize that the increased use of biometric data contained in imagery to train AI/ML applications requires the need to ensure that we have obtained the model's permission to use their image and data in this manner and Getty Images is at the forefront of addressing these very real concerns."
The release form is multifunctional in that it can be used across landscapes in both protecting users and submitted to various agencies without consistent rewriting. Potential added contributors can find more information on Getty's own webpage, but the formation of these findings only proves that additive lessons must be taken in adopting more robust privacy protections for biometric data.
