The amendments proposed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation on the collection and storage of biometrics in the Unified Biometric System (UBS) do not imply the abolition of obtaining the consent of citizens to collect their biometric data, the Russian Ministry of Digital Transformation specified in its Telegram channel.
“In connection with the reports that have appeared in the media, the Ministry of Digital Development clarifies that the prepared draft order does not imply the abolition of obtaining the consent of citizens to collect their biometric data,” the message says.
Earlier, the Kommersant newspaper reported that the amendments proposed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation noted that permission from citizens to collect and update biometric data in the EBS and “other information systems that provide identification and / or authentication using biometric personal data” is not required, since their placement without consent is enshrined in amendments to the law “On Information” adopted on July 6. At the same time, any organization that has placed the data of a citizen in the EBS is obliged to notify him of this, and he, in turn, can apply to the system with a request to destroy his data.
The Ministry of Digital Development, in turn, recalled that it is possible to collect and hand over biometrics only on a voluntary basis and only with the consent of a citizen (through a bank, independently through a mobile application from September 30, 2022 and in the future also through the MFC). From surveillance cameras, as well as from other sources that do not require prior consent, it is impossible to collect biometrics, the department stressed.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation noted that only those biometric data that are collected with the consent of a citizen can be imported into the EBS.
“A citizen whose data is transferred to the EBS must be notified about this by the owner of the commercial system (bank) with mandatory information about the procedure for revoking the storage of data in the EBS and their destruction,” the department added.
At the same time, citizens will receive a notification about the transfer of their data to the EBS in their personal account on the State Services, where they will be able to apply for their deletion, the Ministry of Digital Development emphasized. In addition, when importing biometric data from several commercial systems, only the most relevant ones will be stored in the EBS, the department promised.
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