Privacy Group Urges FTC to Probe HireVue’s Use of Biometric Data

A privacy group wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate HireVue Inc., alleging that the recruiting technology company’s uses of facial recognition technology, biometric data, and “secret” algorithms amount to unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The company allegedly collects thousands of biometric data points on job candidates through its assessments and inputs the data into “secret ‘predictive algorithms’ that allegedly determine each candidates’ ‘employability,’” the Electronic Privacy Information Center said in its Nov. 6 FTC complaint alleging violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.

“Because these algorithms are secret—even to HireVue itself, in some cases—it is impossible for job ...