Cybersecurity Policy Report, Public Consultation on Biometric Data Processing Opened by Brazilian DPA, (Jun 3, 2025)

By Tony Foley

The National Authority for Protection of Data (ANPD), Brazil’s data protection authority, has opened a public consultation on the collection and processing of biometric data.

In a news release yesterday, ANPD said the consultation aimed to collect input to support future regulatory action by the agency on the use of biometric data under Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD). “The growing use of biometric data—such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans or behavioral patterns—has generated important reflections on the limits and care required in their application,” ANPD said. “Although they bring benefits in terms of security and authentication, these data involve significant risks to privacy and fundamental rights, especially when used in an automated manner in contexts such as schools, borders, public events, workplaces and financial transactions.”

The consultation, which is being conducted through the Participa+Brasil online platform, is organized into the following five thematic blocks: (1) definitions and principles; (2) legal hypotheses; (3) facial recognition technologies and emerging technologies; (4) security, good practices, and governance; and (5) rights of data subjects and vulnerable groups.

The questions posited in each block were developed by ANPD based on its review of comparative legal regimes like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, as well as guidelines from the European Data Protection Board and the data protection authorities of the United Kingdom, Spain, and France.

ANPD is accepting submissions to the online platform through July 2.

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