NY Biometric Privacy Bills Advance; Age-Verification Legislation Fails
New York state Senate committees approved a variety of bills on biometrics at hearings this week. An age-verification measure failed to advance, however.
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At a livestreamed meeting Tuesday, the Consumer Protection Committee cleared a biometric privacy bill (S-1422) with Sen. Bill Weber (R) casting the only no vote. The Internet and Technology Committee will consider it next.
A similar bill (A-6031) is pending in the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee. The Senate last year passed a previous version by Sen. John Liu (D) on a 43-18 vote, but the Assembly bill by member Clyde Vanel (D) didn’t advance. Vanel has floated similar bills dating to 2018.
Weber also voted no on Tuesday at a Senate Education Committee meeting on legislation that would ban most biometrics in schools (S-3827). However, a majority of the panel agreed to send it to the floor. Chair Shelley Mayer (D) said the bill expands on the state’s ban of facial recognition in schools, while exempting fingerprint identification of teachers, students and administrators for security and administrative reasons.
On Monday, the Internet Committee voted 3-2 to advance a bill restricting law enforcement usage of biometric surveillance technology. S-5609 will go next to the Codes Committee. In addition, the panel voted 5-0 to send to the floor a bill requiring a facial recognition study (S-3699).
In addition, the committee voted 4-2 to support S-955, limiting “collection, management, utilization, and disposal of data gathered by electronic and/or computerized entry systems and by building owners, agents of owners, and utilized vendors who use such entry systems.” Also, the bill would prohibit location tracking and capturing the likeness of minor occupants, while requiring secure storage of collected data. The bill can next go to the floor.
However, a bill (S-3591) mandating age verification on porn websites failed by a 3-4 vote. Internet Committee Chair Kristen Gonzalez (D) said there's a "pending case in front of the Supreme Court, so ... we're waiting to see what comes from the Supreme Court's decision in order to form how our state addresses issues such as this."