Selfie biometrics roll out for USPTO, gaming company, but Rhode Island takes a pass

U.S. government agencies and online service companies continue to deploy selfie biometrics to balance fraud reduction, compliance and user experience, with ID.me and Blinking announcing customer wins for facial authentication. iDenfy has added NFC scanning to its identity verification portfolio to address similar applications. Not all developments in the space are positive for biometrics providers, however.

Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training will process unemployment claims without using face biometrics, the department’s director said after the American Civil Liberties Union sued it for allegedly withholding information about its use of the technology.

DLT Director Matthew Weldon told The Boston Globe that “… the department neither uses face biometrics, nor has any plans to adopt the technology in the future.”

The ACLU of Rhode Island submitted a public record request in August, seeking information on the states use of facial recognition and identity verification software, and the “operational effectiveness or accuracy rate” of face biometrics systems in consideration.

The state responded that the requested documents are legally confidential. In its suit, the ACLU argues that the statutes it refers to do not apply since the organization is not seeking information on any individual claimant.

Weldon told Providence Business Journal that he apologizes for the confusion, and expects the matter to be quickly resolved.

Selfie biometrics have been used in other states in an attempt to cut down on astronomical fraud rates in state benefits programs.

ID.me supplies USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is introducing selfie biometrics from ID.me for digital identity verification of people filing account holders submitting applications to the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) and its international counterpart.

The process is carried out in line with NIST 800-63-3 Identity Assurance Level 2 guidelines, and will usually take less than 15 minutes, according to the announcement. Biometric verification will be required from April 9, 2022.

The company has been on a role with U.S. state government contracts, including a joint contract win for in-person identity verification in New Jersey in November.

NFC scanning launched by iDenfy

iDenfy has launched an NFC-scanning tool for users to access biometric identity documents, such as passports, for identity verification processes.

The NFC tool is faster and safer than other scanning options, according to iDenfy, and supports all digital identification documents globally that comply with the ICAO 9303 standard.

“Near field communication technology opens new possibilities for businesses to deploy customs grade security to identify customers and keep the user experience intact during this crucial onboarding process,” says iDenfy CEO Domantas Ciulde.

Blinking customer win

Blinking’s selfie biometrics have been selected for know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) checks during onboarding by online sports betting company Lob.

The process helps Lob meet compliance requirements in various countries, and can be completed in less than a minute for an improved user experience, according to the announcement.

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometrics  |  Blinking  |  digital identity  |  document verification  |  face biometrics  |  facial verification  |  fraud prevention  |  ID.me  |  iDenfy  |  identity verification  |  KYC  |  NFC  |  selfie biometrics