EDPS expresses critical concerns with EP’s biometric register

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has released an Opinion on the use of a computerised system by the European Parliament for the digitalisation of the Plenary and central attendance registers through biometric technology. This Opinion concerns an updated system for the attestation of the presence of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The system seeks to digitalise the European Parliament’s Central Attendance Register (CAR) for MEPs by replacing the existing paper-based signing system with a solution based on an optical fingerprint scanner. According to Euractiv, the opinion has “shown some critical concerns that need to be addressed,” including the legal basis of the project and the need for Parliament to further explain the necessity of processing special categories of personal data. The EUObserver reports that the EDPS proposed possible alternatives, including a badge-based system and a one-time password or a similar confirmation feature generated in MEPs’ phones.