Legal Aspects of Image Morphing and Manipulation Detection Technology

Manipulation Attack Detection (MAD) becomes increasingly important when relying on biometric information systems which serve a large variety of purposes, such as border checks, access control to digital or physical environments, and convenience, e.g., airline check-in. Besides technical aspects, legal aspects shall not be overlooked. When deploying MAD technology, responsible entities shall determine, inter alia, the objectives of the use of this technology (legitimacy and purpose limitation principle), the law and the legal ground on which the deployment of MAD technology will be based (legality and lawfulness), the information to be provided to individuals relating to data processing (transparency), and also how fair and accurate the processing is and shall be (fairness). Also, human oversight and intervention where automatic decision-making is in place is a must. This contribution delves into these principles and poses legal questions which arise in the context of MAD technology and practical applications.