114 - Be Careful With Biometric Apps
“Some apps collect facial scans, fingerprints, or voice recordings. Read privacy policies carefully before using apps that gather sensitive personal data.”
From unlocking your phone with a quick glance to using a fun video filter that transforms your face, apps that interact with our physical traits are everywhere. It feels incredibly futuristic and convenient to log into a banking app with a thumbprint or use a viral app that predicts what you will look like in thirty years.
But these features rely on a special kind of information called biometrics. Biometrics are digital measurements of your physical self—your face structure, your fingerprint patterns, or the unique cadence of your voice. Unlike a password or an email address, you can never change your face or your thumbs if that data gets stolen or leaked.
For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, handing over biometric data carries distinct risks. Modern facial recognition and voice-matching programs are frequently trained on biased data, meaning they misidentify people of color at much higher rates than white users. Furthermore, when commercial apps store your facial scans or voice prints, that data can be sold to data brokers or accessed by outside agencies, expanding the footprint of systemic surveillance over your daily life.
You don't have to swear off modern tech entirely to protect your physical privacy. It just requires being a bit more selective about who gets a copy of your face or voice.
You can establish firm physical boundaries on your phone today with a few simple habits:
Switch back to passcodes: Go into your phone's settings and disable face or fingerprint login for everyday apps. A long, unique passphrase is much harder for an outside entity or law enforcement to bypass without your consent.
Deny face and microphone access: When a new game or social app asks to scan your face or record your voice, hit "Deny." If the app doesn't need your camera to function, it shouldn't have it.
Read the quick summary: Before downloading a viral photo-editing or voice-changing app, scroll down to the app store's "Data Privacy" section. Look to see if it says the app tracks or stores "Biometrics." If it does, skip the download.
Your physical traits belong entirely to you. Keeping your face, voice, and prints off commercial databases is a straightforward way to keep your identity secure and your community protected.
What Now
If you are a member of the BIPOC community and want to shield your sensitive biometric data from over-collection, biased algorithms, and corporate or state surveillance, follow this actionable checklist:
Revert to Manual Passcodes Immediately: Open your mobile device settings and toggle off face or fingerprint authentication for unlocking your phone, logging into apps, and approving transactions. Opt for a long, alphanumeric passcode instead; under legal and physical constraints, an outside entity cannot easily compel you to give up a memorized password as they can with an exposed biometric trait.
Execute a Comprehensive App Permission Audit: Dive into your smartphone’s privacy dashboard to monitor which applications have access to your camera and microphone. Revoke these permissions for any software—such as viral mobile games, retail apps, or photo filters—that does not strictly require live hardware access to perform its primary function.
Scrub Biometric Traces Before Downloading: Before installing a trending image-editing, avatar-generating, or voice-changing application, review the "Data Privacy" breakdown in the app store. If the summary explicitly notes that the software collects or stores "Biometrics," skip the download entirely to keep your facial structures and voice patterns out of commercial data broker pools.
Partner with Civil Liberties Defenders: Align yourself with national civil rights organizations actively campaigning against mass biometric surveillance and documenting wrongful arrests caused by faulty facial recognition algorithms. You can explore policy updates, sign petitions, and find community toolkits through the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Rely on Dedicated Tech-Defense Handbooks: For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to secure your smart devices, clear your online presence, and navigate high-risk digital environments, review open-source digital safety guides. Utilize the technical frameworks and community protection modules designed by independent experts at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Surveillance Self-Defense.
Local Resources
Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC)
URL: swecwa.org
Phone Number: (541) 554-5974
YWCA Clark County
URL: ywcaclarkcounty.org
Phone Number: (360) 696-0167
NAACP Vancouver WA Branch 1139
URL: naacpvancouverwa.org
Phone Number: (360) 216-1784
