Biometrics providers getting lift and seeking clarity from public policy

Collaborations on biometrics and digital wallets to assist further development related to public policy made up the top stories of the week on Biometric Update. Paravision, Thales, Vision-Box, NEC NSS, Corsight and Pangiam have all been confirmed, and in some cases identified, as participants in the recent DHS biometrics rally. A reference framework for EU digital ID wallets is out, and a recent webinar offers insights into its technical implications and what happens next. Public policy is also impacting the biometrics market from Illinois to Cameroon, while stakeholders consider legal responsibilities in the EU. Elsewhere in the industry, partnerships are extending the market reach of Idex Biometrics’ and Zwipe’s biometric cards.

Top biometrics news of the week

The Architecture Reference Framework created to ensure interoperability between EU digital ID wallets was discussed in-depth in a recent webinar by Intesi Group. The certification system for wallets, how the framework informs reference implementations and then large-scale pilots, and the need for different solutions to address different use case requirements under eIDAS were explained by Peter Altmann of Sweden’s DIGG Agency for Digital Government.

The results of the 2022 DHS Biometric Technology Rally are provided with aliases for participating vendors, but Biometric Update has shared and uncovered who several of them are. Announcements and emails from Paravision, Thales, Vision-Box, NEC NSS, Corsight and Pangiam revealed many of the leading participants, and what they took from the exercise.

The White House is attempting to chart a path to stronger cybersecurity and data privacy for Americans via incentives for the private sector, regulation, investment in digital ID, and more responsibility for NIST. The President wants a framework built under which businesses that do not appropriately safeguard customer data can be held liable, while those that do are shielded.

OIX Chief Identity Strategist Nick Mothershaw addresses three commonly-held myths that are holding back digital identity support and adoption in a guest post. He argues that data can be held and shared as safely or more so, with more user control, and alternatives for those who do not want to use digital ID for access to services.

Biometric payment cards with Idex Biometrics software are about to be mass produced for commercialization, after Linxens ordered a million chips from Infineon. Meanwhile in Indonesia, Zwipe has begun working with a local smart card manufacturer to make and market fingerprint payment cards domestically.

Veriff is paying $4 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it failed to meet Illinois’ requirements to get informed consent from people in the state when processing their biometrics. Microsoft moved to send its BIPA case to arbitration, and a defendant found guilty argues its fine should be revisited following a major decision in state supreme court.

Governments are beginning to reckon with the threat that deepfakes pose to public trust. India’s Prime Minister has told social media companies to take reasonable measures to keep their platforms free from deepfakes, and a proposed bill in Minnesota, U.S., would make some deepfake distribution illegal.

A legal framework for Cameroon’s biometric visas and ID documents for non-citizens has been signed into law. The ICAO-compliant visas, plus residence permits, residence cards and refugee cards will all have electronic chips and store digitized facial photos.

The Pakistan Telecom Authority and NADRA have signed an MoU to work together on the new fingerprint biometric system implemented recently for SIM registration. The deal also covers digital identity collaboration, and is intended to promote alignment on efforts and training.

There is a fine line between pseudonymization and anonymization, which is an important distinction under GDPR. The EAB convened a panel at the end of its workshop on biometric data protection under the European regulation, which yielded valuable insights but also more questions.

For the fifth anniversary of the highly influential Gender Shades study, the Algorithmic Justice League held a celebration in the form of a video event. Study co-authors Dr. Joy Buolamwini and Dr. Timnit Gebru hold an in-depth discussion on the continuing work towards responsible use of AI and their success in raising awareness of demographic disparities in facial recognition.

Please let us know about any articles, podcasts or other content we should share with the people in biometrics and the broader digital identity community in the comments below or through social media.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric cards  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  data protection  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  facial recognition  |  responsible AI  |  week in review