NZ’s face biometrics system sees zero uptake from govt agencies

A project in New Zealand that makes face biometrics technology available to public institutions and approved private organizations has had no uptake among government agencies in the four years since it was deployed.

In 2020, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs started using a biometric system from DXC Technology relying on the Neoface facial recognition software made by Japanese company NEC. The system was used to manage New Zealanders’ passport photos and data and ensure passport applicants do not have multiple identities.

According to the government master agreement, public and private organizations could take advantage of the system with private companies required to seek approval from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. In the four years since the agreement, however, no public agency has used the DXC’s system, according to Radio New Zealand (RNZ).

The department signed a deal with DXC’s New Zealand subsidiary in 2018. After the deployment of the system in 2020, however, the deal attracted concerns over data privacy. Similar concerns were raised over the NEC system deployed by New Zealand police for surveillance and investigations.

New Zealand is currently working on creating a biometrics Code of Practice.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  DXC Technology  |  face biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  NeoFace  |  New Zealand