Neural privacy is a growing concern as technology that interacts with our brains becomes more prevalent. The field of neurotechnology can be broken down into invasive, like implants, and non-invasive, like wearables. Wearables, such as headbands that monitor relaxation or hats that measure fatigue, are already common in the consumer sphere. Big companies like Snapchat, Meta, and Apple are also exploring neurotech, with Apple patenting earbuds that measure brain activity.
Invasive neurotech is mostly used in the medical field, with treatments like deep brain stimulation for neurological disorders and brain implants for epilepsy. Brain-computer interfaces also allow people with limited mobility to control robotic limbs. Some companies are even working to bring invasive neurotech into the consumer sphere, such as Elon Musk's Neuralink, which recently implanted a wireless brain chip in a human.
Advocates for neurorights are pushing for legislation to protect neural data. California and Colorado have already passed laws to protect brain data, and other countries are considering similar measures. In Canada, the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner considers neural data to be protected under existing legislation.
While some experts believe fears about neurotech are overblown, others argue that data created by these devices could be misused. With companies having access to user data and the potential for law enforcement to use brain data in investigations, concerns about privacy and misuse of neural data are valid. As the field of neurotechnology continues to advance, it's important to establish regulations and protections to ensure the ethical use of neural data.