Biometric Data Retention for Passport Applicants and Holders March 2014 The Law Library of Congress, Global Legal Research Center (202) 707-6462 (phone) • (866) 550-0442 (fax) •
[email protected] • http://www.law.gov Biometric Data Retention for Passport Applicants and Holders Ruth Levush Senior Foreign Law Specialist (Coordinator), and the Staff of the Global Legal Research Directorate The following table compares the regulation of biometric data obtained in connection with passport applications and the preservation of such data in fifteen selected countries. Country Availability Purpose Access Duration of Biometric Database of Database to Data of Data Storage Argentina Biometric data collected Criminal investigation; Federal Police, Border Decree 1766/2011 creating includes fingerprints and national security2 Patrol, Coast Guard, SIBIOS does not include a photographs.1 Airport Security Police, time limitation for data National Registry of storage. However, the Individuals, and National Law on Personal Data Directorate of Migration3 Protection states that data must be destroyed when no longer need for the purpose for which it was collected.4 Australia The Australian Passport Passport applicant Information held in the Relevant legislation does Database stores photographs are compared Australian Passport not specify timeframes for information about to images from any Database, including data storage but passport passport applicants, previously held Australian photographs,7 may only be applicants’ personal including digitized travel document.