Who we are
The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner is Dr Brian Plastow, he is supported in his role by Business, Operations and Support managers.
The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner supports and promotes the adoption of lawful, effective, and ethical practices in relation to the acquisition, retention, use, and destruction of biometric data for criminal justice and police purposes in Scotland.
Our Strategic Plan 2025-29 was approved by the Parliament corporation and was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 10 November 2025.
Explanation of the most common biometrics used in policing and criminal justice in Scotland and the main biometric databases.
We have established and will monitor a code of practice. This will help us to oversee how ‘biometric data’ is acquired, kept, used, and destroyed for criminal justice and policing purposes.
The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner is Dr Brian Plastow, he is supported in his role by Business, Operations and Support managers.
Put simply, ‘Biometrics’ are a way to measure a person’s physical, biological, physiological or behavioural characteristics to establish or verify their identity.
What does ‘biometrics’ or ‘biometric data’ mean to you, and did you know the term ‘biometric data’ is defined slightly differently in different UK legislation? Watch our video to find out what biometrics are, how we are supporting ethical use of biometrics in policing and criminal justice in Scotland, and how we safeguard your data.