Biometrics options expand, add more layers to secure financial services

Biometrics are powering more secure payments and financial services in several of the top stories of the week on Biometric Update, between Socure adding risk analysis through the $136 million Effectiv acquisition, Keyo’s palm biometrics have been integrated by Al.Tech to secure transactions in the DRC, and Mastercard launching passkey payments in a new region. The range of technologies being brought to bear against different fraud vectors also includes Herta’s biometrics being utilized by the EU’s EITHOS project to detect deepfakes, and age assurance and automated border control measures a pair of governments are looking into for contract opportunities.

Top biometrics news of the week

Microexpression analysis is a new front opened in the battle against deepfakes by a European consortium known as EITHOS. Herta Security brings its biometrics expertise to the group, which has placed deepfake detection software with police in three countries for testing ahead of a planned launch in 2025.

The EC wants to contract the development of an app for privacy-preserving age verification for $4.3 million. Bids for the two-year contract are restricted to vendors with millions of euros in turnover and significant experience meeting short deadlines for million-euro contracts. Bids are due by November 18.

An RFI published by the Netherlands asks what “future-proof” automated border control system options are available that can integrate biometrics and help manage passenger flows. The country is preparing for the eventual production launch of the EES, and a possible contract notice at the end of February.

Socure picked up fraud risk detection provider Effectiv in a $136 million-acquisition to deploy combinatorial rules across third-party systems and build new capabilities into its end-to-end platform. Socure also won a customer that protects against fraud in higher education and associated financial aid.

Keyo is forming partnerships with technology integrators to build its palm biometrics scanners into applications and bring them to market. Among them is Al.Tech, which has developed solutions to meet  demand in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for biometric payments, identity verification and access control.

Mastercard is rolling out passkeys for payments in the Middle East and North Africa, following their launch in India. Starting with the noon Payments platform in the UAE, the Payment Passkey Service will by offered as a more secure alternative to OTPs at online checkouts.

A Washington, D.C.-based think tank says America has a digital verification divide, due to the lack of documents possessed by low-income and marginalized people and the conflation of biometrics for ID verification with surveillance and law enforcement. Login.gov has helped less than it is supposed to so far, but evidence from ID.me suggests that the situation could be improved with biometrics.

Panama has introduced a national digital ID and wallet for identity verification to access public and private services online. The digital ID is available to both citizens and permanent residents, and essentially digitizes the national ID card supplied by Mühlbauer and partners. The Tribunal Electoral is overseeing the rollout.

A new bill before UK Parliament would establish a dedicated office to work on digital ID, as well as a national Digital Verification Service to operationalize the DIATF. Yoti’s Julie Dawson says the DAU opens up opportunities for digital ID to help both people and businesses. The bill would also apply consent requirements to pixel-tracking and device fingerprinting.

On the first birthday of Australia’s ConnectID, MD Andrew Black sees progress in the country’s digital identity landscape, but warns that it could become siloed. Interoperability is one key, and NSW’s new Digital Minister Jihad Dib says his digital strategy takes inclusivity as another.

The Sovrin Foundation is planning to close down its MainNet ledger on March 31, 2025, due in part to a decline is usage and the impact of an uncertain regulatory environment on investors. Resources were being diverted and challenges with governance and community involvement, according to a LinkedIn post.

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Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  week in review