4. Conclusion

Biometric applications are currently the subject of controversy among legal experts. European legislation on biometrics is directly linked to European directives and regulations on personal data protection. In France, the CNIL, while following these texts, has particular reservations about fingerprints and facial recognition. This may partly explain the slowdown in the development of biometric security applications in Europe, compared with the USA or China, where legislation is less restrictive.

However, even in China and the United States, the development of personal data protection legislation is taking biometrics into account: this is the case of the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in California; it is the case of the PIPL (Personal Information Protection Law) in China, which does not hinder data trade. The CCPA, which came into force on January 1, 2020,...