In an exclusive statement with Tunisie Numérique, former president of the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data (INPDP), Chawki Gaddes examined concerns about the biometric identity card and passport project in Tunisia. Gaddes emphasised critical issues surrounding the handling of biometric data in this project.
One of the primary worries Gaddes raised is whether the Ministry of the Interior intends to store a copy of digitized basic biometric data, such as photographs and thumbprints. He added that, according to the bill relating to biometric documents, such data needs to adhere to the law on the protection of personal data. Specifically, Article 11 of this law states that personal data must be processed fairly and only to the extent required for the purposes for which they were gathered.
Gaddes reported that in regions like the European area, competent authorities are required to erase biometric data from their databases once biometric travel and identity documents are issued to the person concerned. Nevertheless, he observed that in the bill involving biometric documents in Tunisia, there was no specific article dedicated to the regulatory framework for managing the database.
He alerted of the notable risks associated with the potential leak or hacking of the biometric database. Such incidents could lead to identity theft, posing a substantial loss and undermining national sovereignty.
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