Removed on April 10^th 2024 based on the version and article numbering approved by the EU Parliament on March 13^th 2024.

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[Previous version]

Updated on Feb 6^th 2024 based on the version endorsed by the Coreper I on Feb 2^nd

As biometric data constitutes a special category of sensitive personal data, it is appropriate to classify as high-risk several critical use-cases of biometric systems, insofar as their use is permitted under relevant Union and national law. Technical inaccuracies of AI systems intended for the remote biometric identification of natural persons can lead to biased results and entail discriminatory effects. This is particularly relevant when it comes to age, ethnicity, race, sex or disabilities. Therefore, remote biometric identification systems should be classified as high-risk in view of the risks that they pose. This excludes AI systems intended to be used for biometric verification, which includes authentication, whose sole purpose is to confirm that a specific natural person is the person he or she claims to be and to confirm the identity of a natural person for the sole purpose of having access to a service, unlocking a device or having secure access to premises.

In addition, AI systems intended to be used for biometric categorisation according to sensitive attributes or characteristics protected under Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 based on biometric data, in so far as these are not prohibited under this Regulation, and emotion recognition systems that are not prohibited under this Regulation, should be classified as high-risk. Biometric systems which are intended to be used solely for the purpose of enabling cybersecurity and personal data protection measures should not be considered as high-risk systems.

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