Chile demands global erasure of teen's biometric data

The Supreme Court of Chile has mandated the deletion of biometric data collected from a 17-year-old by World, a biometric identification project. 

This ruling stems from allegations that the company obtained the teenager's iris scan without parental consent, violating constitutional rights. 

Rodrigo Lagos, the attorney representing the minor, emphasised that minors cannot consent to such data collection independently. 

“A minor cannot give her consent to have her iris scanned... without her parents knowing,” he stated.

The court's decision requires World to erase all related data within 30 days and report compliance to a lower court. 

Initially, a lower court dismissed the case but acknowledged that collecting biometric data from minors was illegal and arbitrary. 

The Supreme Court's ruling reflects growing scrutiny over World’s practices in Chile, where it has faced increasing opposition from regulators. 

In November, Chile’s consumer protection agency began investigating World’s activities, particularly concerning home scanning operations linked to a delivery service. 

Despite legal challenges, World has gained traction in Chile, raising concerns about privacy and data protection standards. 

This ruling could set a precedent for future cases involving biometric data collection and minors in Chile and beyond.