The event has a unique format. There are no “predetermined” speakers; any participant can host a session to present about their work, their research, or initiate a discussion about key issues. 

Our proposition is to create a convening space for uncommon conversations that deepen understanding between various stakeholders all engaged in work related to biometrics. The event itself uses Open Space Technology, with agenda-setting taking place in the opening circle. This feature of the event is critical: that anyone who participates can place topics on the agenda.
More about this generative and engaging format can be found here. 

Potential topics include (this will be updated as registrants suggest more ideas):

• How biometrics are used today.
• What are future scenarios of biometrics use.
• What is the history of biometrics and their use.
• Sharing of case studies and research about surveillance from civil society groups like AccessNow and The Engine Room.
• What are legitimate uses of the technology.
• What types of biometric usage are inappropriate.
• What are the differences between differing biometric modalities.
• Potential Impacts of restricting the use or sharing of biometrics
• Bias with human (face-to-face) facial biometric verification vs. the current top algorithms
• Challenges with liveness detection during remote verification
• How can agencies gather and share information on false positives vs false negatives when using facial biometric verification
• How mobile Driver's Licenses have the potential to allow privacy preserving on-device facial verification, and what needs to be done to encourage and utilize that application