Biometrics confidence builds in several use cases, but gradually

Biometrics are often probabilistic, but in questions of data privacy, law enforcement and investments, people want certainty. The search for that certainty, or confidence at least, is the driving force in several of the top stories of the week on Biometric Update. A major age assurance trial, an aggressive digital ID rollout plan, and a disconnect between the different sides in a debate happening in several countries over facial recognition as a means of reducing retail theft are ready examples. Major fundraising announcements from ID.me and Vouched show investors are bullish on their visions for reusable digital identity and agent verification.

Newsflash: people are confused about online data privacy

The results of Australia’s Age Assurance Technology Trial are out, and show many of the biometrics providers assessed for age verification or age estimation reach Technology Readiness Level 8 or 9. Yoti, VerifyMy, Persona and Luciditi are highlighted in both sections, while Unissey, Privately, Needemand, Austroads, AgeChecked, IDVerse, GBG, iProov, Trust Stamp, Luciditi and Private Identity scored well in one category or the other.

However, a collection of Australian academics repeatedly takes the position that social media companies like Facebook should not be blocked by age assurance providers on data privacy grounds, reflecting greater trust in big tech than in the notion of online age assurance as a whole.

Lofty expectations

Fime SVP of Digital Identity Steve Pannifer says on the Biometric Update Podcast he is not confident that the EU will meet its planned targets for the Digital Identity Wallet rollout. Pannifer notes that it’s one thing to produce a wallet, it’s another thing to have it work with an ecosystem.

Retailers around the world want to deploy facial recognition to cut down on theft. Political measures look irrelevant, rights groups dismiss the subject, and there are reasons to doubt measurements of the problem from both police and retail groups. Sainsbury’s and Facewatch will try to navigate the reputational and regulatory frontier.

An industry engagement event for Sri Lanka’s national digital ID yielded little insight into who will bid, as practically all major eligible biometrics and identity technology providers attended. The 40-plus companies in attendance do make clear the level of interest, at least.

Digital payments have already enabled African economies to leapfrog traditional banking models, Network International Regional Managing Director for Francophone Africa Mohamed Elbelamachi tells Biometric Update in a feature interview. If they can be applied across borders by AfCFTA, they can also unlock further economic growth.

Investors are showing strong confidence in Vouched and CEO Peter Horadan’s take on identity verification in the age of AI agents, to the tune of $17 million. Horadan and BHG Financial’s Misha Polovneff discuss   and  with the Biometric Update podcast.

ID.me has announced a massive series E funding round bringing it to $340 million in total raised recently, though $275 million of it comes in the form of a previously-announced credit facility. The company plans to accelerate its rollout of reusable, biometrics-backed digital identity, which has already reached 152 million people and led to a valuation above $2 billion.

The majority of the UK Labour Party members in a recent poll, as well as representatives of the Conservative and Liberal Democratic parties have expressed support for a national digital ID as a border control measure. It is at least approaching a political consensus, but with 30 percent of Labour supporters and uncertain support from opposition parties, proponents still have work to do.

Accountable to who?

Activists are using facial recognition, surveillance and AI tools to identify masked ICE agents in the U.S. Competing bills to force agents to identify themselves and to criminalize doxxing law enforcement officers has been introduced, both of them unlikely to work.

Forensic facial recognition matches do not provide enough confidence to be the sole source for a photo lineup, according to updated policy in Detroit. But a lawsuit alleging the arrest of a woman based on such evidence has been dismissed, as the policy differed. The plaintiff plans to appeal.

Who accredits the accreditors?

BSI has launched a certification scheme for the UK’s DIATF to help give relying parties confidence that their digital identity service providers can be trusted. As one of two organizations in the conformity assessment body (CAB) pilot, BSI is anticipating the production launch of the accreditation system by the end of the year. But the DIATF is not fit for accreditation, according to the ACCS, which has made a formal request to the European Accreditation oversight body for a review of the framework’s approval by UKAS.

Please tell us if you see any podcasts, webinars or other content you think we should pass along to those in biometrics and the broader digital identity community using the comments below or through social media.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  week in review