Govt ID systems enable financial inclusion, and without oversight, surveillance

Biometric databases held by governments form the basis of traditional, centralized digital ID systems, but these system require careful management and oversight to avoid a raft of potential risks to privacy and other rights. The biggest industry news of the week on Biometric Update is the completed deal for IN Groupe to acquire Idemia, which brings in technologies to the former that strengthen its ability to deliver systems that ensure control over ID data and sovereignty for the customer.

Top biometrics news of the week

The acquisition of Idemia Smart Identity by IN Groupe, solely owned by the French government, has been completed, with the price tag estimated around a billion euros. The sale creates the largest company in the digital identity market, and integrating Idemia’s biometrics and other technologies gives IN Groupe a comprehensive portfolio to go with its even more-extensive global reach.

National ID systems can empower governments to do amazing things.

India is using Aadhaar biometrics to carry out KYC checks on 800 million food aid beneficiaries.

Namibia wants to improve financial inclusion, particularly amongst its rural population, by enabling instant digital payments. The official in charge of setting up the system tells Biometric Update that it will rely on the national registration database as its source of identity truth.

But with scale and complexity come a variety of concerns, including over surveillance and limited oversight.

ICE’s Mobile Fortify app for real-time identity verification in the field with face and contactless fingerprint biometrics has rolled out. ICE agents can use the app to check the biometrics of suspected illegal immigrants against CBP’s TVS database and DHS’s IDENT. A formal announcement of the rules for using the app are pending.

A major funding increase for mobile biometrics tools for ICE is included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by U.S. lawmakers this week. The signature piece of legislation for President Donald Trump also strengthens CBP’s authority to deploy facial recognition at ports of entry.

But responsibility for IDENT has become contentious within the U.S. federal government, as sources say the executive branch is considering moving OBIM under CBP. The mandate of the system and its rules for use could change, and may have already, gives that officials from the advisory body known as DOGE have apparently gaining operational access to the massive government biometric databases without legal oversight.

A tool used by America’s federal government to determine program eligibility and repurposed for checking voter eligibility has integrated databases from several agencies and now functions as a de facto national citizenship index. The system has also been upgraded to support batch queries, which will presumably be covered in the new or updated SORN when it is published.

And as mDLs take off, the “No Phone Home” data privacy controversy, topic of the latest episode of the Biometric Update podcast, heats up.

Somalia has launched the PISCES border control system, which is backed by the U.S. government and built with biometric technology from Booz Allen Hamilton. Somalia’s new border control system, which is live in 23 countries around the world, including several in East Africa, was developed to screen travelers against terrorism watchlists.

CBP has launched the Enhanced Passenger Processing system, which uses iProov biometrics for screening U.S. citizens arriving on international flights, from a pilot to an operational program at a dozen airports. CBP biometrics have also been deployed at the CBX land border crossing, and TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is expanding with three airlines.

Around the world, governments are racing ahead with digital ID plans, and in a couple of notable cases, turning to neighboring countries to help.

India’s NISG has issued an RFP on behalf of Sri Lanka for the latter’s national digital identity system. The partners are seeking a system integrator for the MOSIP-based SL-UDI, and taking bids until August 8. Once the system is set up, Sri Lanka plans to hire a locally managed service provider to maintain it.

Switzerland is adopting chip-based biometric ID cards, like the rest of Europe, despite not being an EU member, so that its citizens can enjoy free movement with the continental bloc. The new Swiss IDs are expected by the end of next year, and work on them is underway, though no supplier has been announced yet.

Niger has chosen Libya-based Al Itissan Al-Jadeed for a public-private partnership to upgrade the country’s biometric national ID system. Agreements have been signed for the delivery of a national digital ID and new passports.

The public debut of the GOV.UK App came this week with the launch of public beta version. An AI chatbot is among features coming soon, and tech secretary Peter Kyle says the design is unfinished, but it is already integrated with 16 government services, half a dozen more than GOV.UK Verify every got to.

With all of this activity, an active civil society is especially important right now.

Beruku has signed on to support the next phase of work on Women in Identity’s Code of Conduct, the organization announced in its latest newsletter. Phase 4 is the crafting of guiding principles for the code.

Please let us know about any podcasts, panels or other content we should pass along to those in biometrics and the digital identity community, either in the comments below or through social media.

Article Topics

biometric database  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  week in review