Biometrics, digital ID advisory board changes announced in Scotland, US, Germany

Government bodies, ITRC and Augentic announce changes

Biometrics and digital ID security companies in the U.S. and Germany have announced the appointment of  new members to advisory roles. Meanwhile, the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner has removed Professor Fraser Sampson from the country’s biometrics advisory board.

Former Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales removed from advisory group

Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Brian Plastow has removed Professor Fraser Sampson, the former Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner for England and Wales, from his advisory group, according to an announcement.

The decision comes shortly after Sampson was appointed as a director of Facewatch, a private facial recognition security company that uses biometric cameras to compare face biometrics to a watchlist.

Sampson certified the organization in March for complying with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, right before the Information Commissioner’s Office concluded that retailers using facial recognition technology are in compliance with UK data protection laws.

Sampson left his regulatory role on October 31 and began his role at Facewatch the following day, according to Companies House records. The timing has led some to suggest he was negotiating with the company while he still held regulatory powers.

“It cannot be acceptable for those in taxpayer-paid oversight roles to negotiate contracts with the very companies they scrutinize while still in post,” said Big Brother Watch Advocacy Director Mark Johnson to the Guardian.

First board members appointed to Alliance for Identity Resilience

In the United States, the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that supports victims of identity crimes, has established the Alliance for Identity Resilience Advisory Board and appointed its first members.

Among the notable members are Arun Vemury, senior advisor of the Biometric and Identity Technology Center for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Jay Meier, SVP of North American operations at FaceTec Inc, and a guest author for Biometric Update.

Augentic GmbH adds members to advisory board

German identity management and biometrics provider Augentic added members to its advisory board after Hermann Sterzinger and Peter Schmid announced their decisions to step down as chairman and financial advisor for the board, respectively.

Hans Wolfgang Kunz, who has served on the board for over two years, will be the new chairman, effective from December 2023. German diplomat Hansjörg Haber will join as a member, while the financial advisor role will be taken up by Klaus-Joachim Krauth, a financial expert who served in management roles from family-owned and listed companies.

Article Topics

appointments  |  Augentic  |  biometrics  |  DHS  |  digital identity  |  FaceTec  |  Identity Theft Resource Center