Clemens files ‘Biometric Information Privacy Act’

Bill designed to keep personal information free from corporate intrusion

Rep. Doug Clemens (MHDC)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, has filed a bill to safeguard and protect Missourians’ biometric information.

House Bill 2716 would prevent any entities or individuals from profiting off the sale of biometric identifiers like retina and iris scans, face and hand geometric scans, fingerprints and especially voiceprints.

“As we move into a new era of technological complexity, Missourians should have their personal information protected from corporations eager to sell personal data and metadata to God-knows-who,” Clemens said. “We need to guarantee Missouri citizens have the legal right to their own biometric data before anyone else gets their grubby hands on it.”

Clemens said his primary inspiration for the bill came from virtual assistant devices like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana. These assistants have been found to record conversations even against the will of their owners, and polls have indicated that a sizable number of consumers worry about privacy risks associated with these kinds of devices.

The representative said he expects broad, bipartisan support in the Missouri House for HB 2716.

“Both sides of the General Assembly have long supported individual rights and freedoms, and I believe this bill can truly unite the body behind the common cause to ensure privacy for our citizens,” Clemens said.