Biometric information management service from KFTC coming for commercial use

Korean biometrics firms have partnered with financial organizations to advance secure identity data management, simplify authentication, and weed out deepfakes.

A new contract between the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Agency (KFTC) and the company Connect Inc. will enable broader implementation of a distributed biometric information management service developed for financial firms, according to a report from Maeil Business Newspaper.

KFTC provides the biometric information distribution management service to financial companies, dividing, storing and authenticating customers’ biometric information. The service uses a distributed model similar to those that underpin self-sovereign identity (SSI) and decentralized ID systems.

In forming a partnership, the two firms hope to test use cases and “expand biometric authentication services to various fields such as palm vein-based customer verification and palm vein-based payment,” moving the financial-services focused tool into the general commercial marketplace.

The KFTC says it is “actively supporting the safe storage and use of biometric information by linking financial and non-financial companies” and will in future “expand to national services that support broader identification, such as biometric information-based age verification.”

Raonsecure simplifies authentication for National Tax Service tool

It is tax time in Korea, and Seoul biometric software firm Raonsecure is providing simplified login for the National Tax Service’s Home Tax year-end tax settlement simplification tool, through its integrated authentication service.

Chosun Daily reports that, as of January 15th, an “integrated authentication environment” will be offered for logging into the tax settlement simplification service, “allowing users to select various private authentication certificates such as Naver, KakaoTalk, Pass, Toss, Shinhan, Hana, and KB from one window using ‘OmniOne CX.’”

OmniOne CX is the brand name of Raonsecure’s integrated authentication service, which consolidates numerous private authentication apps and offers a variety of identity verification methods.

“In particular,” says Chosun, “it can verify national mobile identification cards (mobile driver’s license, mobile national veterans registration certificate) that apply Raonsecure’s blockchain-based digital ID platform technology.”

A separate piece in Chosun Daily covers Raonsecure’s release of a mobile AI app for deepfake detection. “Raon Mobile Security is a personal mobile antivirus app that provides AI-based smishing detection, malware detection, and hacking prevention features,” the article says.

Users upload videos, images, or links to the app, which calculates the likelihood that the content has been manipulated with generative AI to create deepfakes.

New rules for biometrics proposed for Personal Information Protection Act

South Korea has been embroiled in political turmoil since the leadership crisis in early December, which saw then-president Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declare martial law, then resign amid massive public pushback.

Meanwhile, biometric legislation continues. KoreaBoo says Representative Lee Soojin of the Democratic Party of Korea has introduced a new bill to restrict private companies from collecting biometric data.

The bill would amend the Personal Information Protection Act, classifying biometric data such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris and palm vein data as “sensitive information” subject to processing restrictions. It would also require data collectors to “prioritize methods that don’t involve collecting sensitive data to avail themselves of their goods and services.”

The new rules also will empower authorities to impose legal penalties on firms that leak customer data.

The article singles out big Korean entertainment corporation Hybe among firms that have implemented facial recognition for live event ticketing. Hybe is a major force in the globally popular K-Pop genre, operating as a record label, talent agency, production company and publishing house, as well as its work in event management and concert production.

Lee wants more regulations on biometric data collection practices by private companies, and believes companies should offer alternatives to facial recognition for access to services, citing concern over the proliferation of deepfakes.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  Connect Inc  |  data protection  |  Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC)  |  Raonsecure  |  South Korea