Washington — Recognizing the increasing use of devices that collect and analyze personal biometric data, the American Psychological Association has adopted policies aimed at safeguarding the privacy of people’s neural, cognitive and psychological data.
The Resolution on the Protection of Neural and Cognitive Data, which was approved unanimously on Feb. 21 by APA’s governing Council of Representatives, addresses the need for ethical collection, storage and use of data gathered from direct-to-consumer software and wearable devices. These technologies, ranging from smartwatches to virtual reality systems and eye gaze technology, are capable of collecting biometric and neurophysiological data that can provide insights into an individual’s mental state, cognitive processes, and even attitudes and thoughts. Though this technology has enormous potential benefits, the resolution highlights the sensitive nature of such data, which could be used as markers for mental health diagnoses or workplace performance.
The resolution reaffirms people’s right to mental privacy, including protection against uninformed collection and misuse of biometric and neural information. It also calls for developing comprehensive mental privacy legislation.
“This policy is about safeguarding the most intimate aspects of who we are—our thoughts, emotions and cognitive processes,” said APA President Debra Kawahara, PhD. “It’s essential that ethical standards keep pace with technology, defending the fundamental right to mental privacy for all.”
In another action aimed at protecting people’s privacy, the Council of Representatives passed a resolution calling for securing psychological test data. Such data includes tests used in psychological assessments, evaluations in child custody disputes and competency to stand trial, identification of educational disabilities or qualification for educational programs, fitness for duty, and presurgical evaluations.
“The focus of this resolution is to establish policy on APA’s position and role in protecting the validity of psychological testing so that public safety is upheld,” the resolution states. It was developed to address instances involving legal proceedings in which psychologists have been pressured to divulge test materials and data, at times contrary to the policies of APA and state laws that protect test security.