Biometrics Institute marks 25 years of advancing responsible biometrics
The Biometrics Institute is marking its Silver Jubilee, celebrating a quarter century of bringing together an international community committed to the responsible, ethical and effective use of biometrics and related technologies.
Founded in 2001, the Institute has grown into an independent global organisation for government, industry, academia, privacy experts and civil society. Over 25 years, its members have helped shape practical guidance, trusted dialogue and good practice for the use of biometric technologies across sectors and borders.
Together, the community has developed 23 Good Practice resources, contributed to global discussions including the United Nations’ Compendium of Recommended Practices for Responsible Use & Sharing of Biometrics in Counter Terrorism, and promoted the Institute’s Three Laws of Biometrics: policy comes first, technology is guided by policy, and process supports both.
The 25th anniversary also recognises the members and founding organisations that have supported the Institute from the start, including early contributors in Australia and those who helped establish its presence in the UK.
Reflecting on this milestone, founder Ted Dunstone noted:
“When I established the Biometrics Institute 25 years ago, the ambition was to create an independent forum where government, industry and academia could come together to address both the opportunities and challenges of biometrics. It’s extraordinary to see how far the technology and the Institute have come, while the fundamental need for trust, evidence and responsible use remains as important as ever. From a personal perspective, though, what I value most are the incredible friendships I’ve made along the way.”
Chief Executive, Isabelle Moeller, highlighted the strength of the network today:
“Discussions about the responsible use of machine learning technologies are now more important than ever. We are incredibly fortunate to have a community that has matured over 25 years. This professional network of experts is incredibly willing to share their knowledge and lessons learnt. This places us at the centre/ core of the discussions of how to reap the benefits of these exciting solutions while continuously learning to mitigate the risks they pose”.
Chairman, Jakob Glynstrup, reinforced the importance of this ongoing mission:
“Over the past 25 years, the Biometrics Institute has played a unique and important role in promoting the responsible and constructive use of biometrics. I am proud to have been part of this journey and to see how the Institute has brought together people, organisations and ideas to foster trust, dialogue and responsible innovation. Its contribution to the biometrics community has been truly valuable — and its mission remains as relevant today as it was 25 years ago.”
Reflections from the global community
The real-world impact of this collaborative approach is echoed by long-standing members from across the international biometrics community, who have been part of the journey.
Robert Mocny, formerly U.S. Department of Homeland Security
“The Biometrics Institute gave us access to the expertise to help with the research and gave us a platform to gain world-wide acceptance of the new procedure. In addition, it was through the Institute that we were able to encourage, and assist when asked, our international partners to adopt similar procedures.”
Andrew Rice, formerly Australian Department of Home Affairs
“The Biometrics Institute community has worked to educate itself and wider communities world-wide about what is possible and how to prepare in a policy, process and technology sense to get the best result.”
John Mears, formerly Leidos
“The Institute fulfilled an essential role in facilitating world-wide collaboration between suppliers and users, particularly government users. My own customers were predominantly government users, mostly in law enforcement, aviation security, and border security within the U.S., UK, and Australia. The collaboration gave customers confidence in sensitive deployments because of shared use cases, shared best practices, and guidelines developed by the Institute with member inputs. Beyond the conferences, the workshops provided a forum for forthright exchanges under Chatham House rules, building comradery in a community that sometimes felt like it was under siege.”
Roger Baldwin, formerly Forensic Directorate of the Metropolitan Police Service, London
“Naturally, my thoughts go back to the United Nations’ Compendium of Recommended Practices for Responsible Use & Sharing of Biometrics in Counter Terrorism – though that’s only part of the story. I’ve seen the vital contribution of the Institute firsthand. Beyond its collaboration with the UN, the development of the ‘Good Practice Framework’, the ‘Biometrics Essentials’ learning tool, and the ‘Biometrics Explainer’ videos, the Institute has provided immense value to colleagues and members worldwide.”
To mark this 25-year milestone, the Biometrics Institute will continue it anniversary celebrations at its upcoming Congress in London and Silver Jubilee in Canberra, bringing together its global community to reflect on a quarter century of achievements and chart the future for the industry. The Institute extends its gratitude to all members for their continued support. The full list of member organisations can be viewed on the official Biometrics Institute member register.
ENDS.
About the Biometrics Institute:
The Biometrics Institute is the independent and impartial international membership organisation for biometric users and other interested parties. Established in 2001, the Institute celebrates its Silver Jubilee in 2026, marking 25 years of promoting the responsible, ethical and effective use of biometrics. It has offices in London and Sydney.
The member register, which represents a global and diverse multi-stakeholder community, lists over 200 membership organisations from 44 countries. It includes banks, airlines, government agencies, biometric experts, privacy experts, suppliers, academics, and 21 Observers representing United Nations agencies, IGOs, and European Union institutions.
The Biometrics Institute connects the global biometrics community. It shares knowledge with its members and key stakeholders and, most importantly, develops good practices and thought leadership for the responsible, ethical and effective use of biometrics.
For more information, please email Marco Lombardi.
