Privacy Laws in the Era of Biometric Data: Ethical and Legal Challenges in Pakistan

Abstract

Biometric systems have been implemented in the identity, telecommunications, banking, and welfare sectors across Pakistan, with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) serving as the hub repository for citizens' biometric identifications. Although such technologies are advertised as safe and intended to enhance security and curb fraud, they also raise serious questions about privacy and surveillance, as well as legal safety. This paper examined the privacy-security trade-off by analysing NADRA biometric data from 2018 to 2024, focusing on adoption trends, user complaints, and data breaches. According to quantitative analysis, there is a high degree of positive correlation (r = 0.96) between the biometric verification volumes and the number of complaints raised, implying that the more the volumes of biometric verification, the more the number of operational grievances. Reported breaches are lower in number, but a steady increase indicates security risks in the systems as long as they use immutable biometric identifiers. Results confirm global research cautioning that centralised biometric databases are more dangerous without strong measures in place against misuse and exclusion. The existing privacy system in Pakistan remains disunities, as the foundation focuses on constitutional directives and sectoral regulations, which do not constitute a comprehensive data protection act. The study proposes a radical legislative change, benchmarks of precision, external reviews, and facilities for complaints. The research design has addressed the issue of providing operational balance between technological development and the protection of the basic rights through merging the empirical information with the legal-ethical perspective on problems faced by Pakistan in its digital governance transformation.