Australia's federal government has decided to implement a series of recommendations made in a privacy impact assessment on a proposed face recognition sharing system.A proposed face recognition “hub” aims to tackle cross-border criminal activities by allowing law enforcement agencies to share citizens' facial images – but not using a centralised database.In a “Preliminary Privacy Impact Assessment of the National Facial Biometric Matching Capability – Interoperability Hub”, released this week, the Attorney-General's Department (AGD) pledged to accept all 16 recommendations on the design and governance of the Hub.”AGD is committed to maintaining robust privacy safeguards in the design, implementation and ongoing management of the Hub and its Services. ߪ AGD will adopt a 'Privacy by Design' approach that seeks to limit any privacy impacts”, wrote the department in the response.It added that no biographic or biometric information can or will be stored in the hub, and noted: “AGD is committed to implementing and operating the Services in a transparent manner to help build and maintain public confidence in the Government's efforts to combat identity crime”.Initially, only the Department of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, the AFP, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Defence, and the Attorney-General's Department will be able to access the platform.The Australian Capital Territory local government had said last month that the biometric sharing tool raised “significant privacy and human rights concerns that have not been satisfactorily addressed”.

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