Technologies

EDPS Formal comments on the draft Commission Implementing Decisions on:
1.    the minimum data quality standards and technical specifications for biometric data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of border checks and return
2.    the minimum data quality standards and technical specifications for biometric data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters
 

Quantum computers can be highly beneficial to scientific developments due to the new, speedy way of performing computing. Once available, they however could break currently used cryptography and undermine the protection of (personal) data.

The physical laws of quantum mechanics allow for an alternative method to how today’s computers process information. Whereas traditional computers use bits (0 or 1) as a building block, quantum computers employ quantum bits, or qubits, that can be at the same moment a combination of |0⟩ and |1⟩.

The possible spectrum of values one qubit can adopt is best depicted by the surface of the Bloch sphere in Figure 1. While bits allow for two discrete values, qubits can store a point in a two-dimensional continuum, a surface of a sphere. Quantum computing can take advantage of those more powerful qubits and carry out operations not only for a determined value |0⟩ or |1⟩, but also for all possible superpositions at the same time. Consequently, quantum computing attains an efficiency advantage over binary computing for selected tasks. Some tasks would be rendered only feasible due to this efficiency boost, if the appropriate quantum computer hardware were available.

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Formal comments of the EDPS on the Commission draft Implementing Regulation on establishing technical specifications and procedures required for the system of interconnection of registers established by Directive (EU) 2017/1132 of the European Parliament and of the Council

EDPS comments on the Commission draft implementing decision amending Implementing Decision 2019/1765 as regards the cross-border exchange of data between national contact tracing and warning mobile applications with regard to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joint paper of the Spanish data protection authority, Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) on 14 misunderstandings with regard to biometric identification and authentication.

The use of biometric data for identification and authentication purposes is not new but has greatly increased in recent years. Along with its growing popularity, unfortunately, some misconceptions about the technologies involved have become widespread. 
The objective of this document is to raise awareness about some misunderstandings about biometric technologies, and to motivate its readers to check assertions about the technology, rather than accepting them without verification.