New Zealand: Privacy Commissioner adopted Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025
Description
Privacy Commissioner adopted Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025
On 21 July 2025, New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner adopted the Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025, issued under section 32 of the Privacy Act 2020. The Code strengthens existing notification, purpose, and transparency obligations and introduces a requirement for agencies to conduct a proportionality assessment weighing the privacy risks and public benefits of biometric processing, as well as to implement appropriate privacy safeguards. It applies to all biometric identification, verification, and categorisation activities except those carried out by health agencies handling health information, and restricts biometric categorisation for purposes such as emotion or personality analysis. The Code also establishes conditions for overseas disclosure of biometric information to ensure comparable data-protection safeguards. It takes effect on 3 November 2025 for new biometric systems and on 3 August 2026 for existing ones.
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