EBRAINS and IBI host ‘Mind Your Mind’ webinar on neurotechnology and brain data protection

The event explored the growing impact of neurotechnology – tools that can record and analyse brain activity – and highlighted both its transformative potential and the ethical challenges it raises.

As speakers emphasised, neurotechnology is no longer a distant promise but an emerging reality. From consumer devices such as gaming headsets and sleep trackers to clinical applications, these technologies are generating increasingly sensitive brain data. This raises important concerns, including data breaches, behavioural profiling and the loss of control over how personal neural information is used – making concepts like “privacy by design” more important than ever.

Anthony Hannan, Chair of the IBI, highlighted the “extraordinary potential” of neurotechnology to transform and save lives. “However, as with any new technology, there’s potential for misuse and harm,” he noted. “That is why the work of EBRAINS, IBI and others leading the field of neuroethics is so important.”

Hervé Chneiweis (INSERM and EBRAINS Ethics and Society Committee) gave an overview on what neurotechnology is and what it enables, and the definitions developed by UNESCO and OECD over the past decade. Marcello Ienca (Technical University of Munich) clarified what constitutes neurodata – what is being collected and what insights can be derived from it. Olivia Matshabane (Stellenbosch University) addressed the importance of discussing the implications and risks associated with neurodata collection.

‘Mind Your Mind’ Guide to Protecting Brain Data

Ioana Podina (University of Bucharest) presented the newly launched ‘Mind Your Mind’ Guide to Protecting Brain Data, a collaboration by the EBRAINS Ethics and Society Committee and the IBI. The guide is designed as a practical resource for anyone using or considering commercial neurotechnologies.

“Our goal was to make the complex conversation around neurodata accessible to parents, employees, students, and anyone interacting with these devices in the consumer space, where regulations have not kept pace with the speed of this technology,” Podina explained.

She encouraged attendees to read, share, and help translate the guide into their native languages – supporting a broader effort to ensure that users can make informed choices and promote responsible, human-centred innovation in neurotechnology.