Listen
to
this
post
On
June
8,
2023,
the
UK
Information
Commissioner’s
Office
(“ICO”)
published
a
new
report
on
neurotechnology.
Neurotechnology
is
technology
used
to
monitor
neurodata,
the
information
coming
directly
from
the
brain
and
nervous
system.
In
its
press
release
on
the
report,
the
ICO
warns
that
“that
newly
emerging
neurotechnologies
risk
discriminating
against
people
if
those
groups
are
not
put
at
the
heart
of
their
development”
and
predicts
the
use
of
such
technologies
to
become
“widespread
over
the
next
decade.”
The
ICO
notes
that
neurotech
is
already
used
in
the
healthcare
sector
under
specific
regulations,
but
neurotech
is
rapidly
developing
for
use
in
the
personal
wellbeing,
sports
and
marketing
sectors,
and
for
monitoring
people
in
the
workplace.
According
to
the
ICO,
there
is
a
risk
of
inherent
bias
and
inaccurate
data
being
embedded
in
the
technology
if
it
is
“not
developed
and
tested
on
a
wide
enough
range
of
people.”
Stephen
Almond,
Executive
Director
of
Regulatory
Risk
at
the
ICO,
states
that
the
ICO
wants
“to
see
everyone
in
society
benefit
from
this
technology,”
but
to
“avoid
the
real
danger
of
discrimination,”
it
is
important
for
organizations
“act
now.”
The
ICO
is
in
the
process
of
developing
guidance
on
the
topic,
which
will,
among
other
things,
consider
the
interpretation
of
core
legislative
and
technical
neurotechnology
definitions,
link
to
existing
ICO
guidance
where
appropriate,
and
provide
case
studies.
About Author
