An RFP for Horse Safety Tech – Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

Proposed Amendments to UK Data Law Would Extend Police Retention of Biometric Data

Newly proposed amendments to the United Kingdom’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill would allow law enforcement authorities to hold onto an individual’s biometric data for as long as an INTERPOL notice concerning that individual is in force; and would allow police to retain the biometrics of a criminal with a foreign conviction for an indefinite period. A notice about the table amendments – attributed to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office, and the Ministers of Parliament James Cleverly, Michelle Donelan, and Mel Stride – frames the biometric policy changes as a means of helping to fight the threat of terrorism.

NZ Privacy Commissioner to Publish Draft Biometrics Code

New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner has announced plans to publish a draft code on biometrics in early 2024, at which time his office will welcome public comment. The code will comprise three central components: A proportionality assessment requiring agencies to weigh biometrics use against “privacy intrusion or risks”; transparency and notification requirements; and “purpose limitations” that would establish restrictions on the collection and use of biometric data. “Biometrics affects us all and I want to hear from the experts and other stakeholders we usually hear from, but also from the people going to the supermarket, or receiving marketing, who will have views on what parts of their personal information is collected and stored,” the Commissioner said.

North Korean Hackers Target CyberLink App

Microsoft Threat Intelligence is reporting a “supply chain attack” in which the North Korean hacking group Diamond Sleet has developed a malicious variant of an app developed by CyberLink. While CyberLink is known for its FaceMe facial recognition technology in the identity industry, it also offers a range of other multimedia products. There is no indication so far that the attack involves FaceMe. In its report, Microsoft Threat Intelligence explains that the Diamond Sleet’s malicious file is “a legitimate CyberLink application installer that has been modified to include malicious code”, that it was “signed using a valid certificate issued to CyberLink Corp.,” and that it is “hosted on legitimate update infrastructure owned by CyberLink”. The file has so far been seen on more than 100 compromised devices across Japan, Taiwan, and the US, and Canada.

Nigerian Startup Provides Onboarding Tech for HUMBL Platform

Dojah is now providing identity verification technology for the HUMBL digital wallet, ticketing, and social platform. Founded in 2020, Dojah is a Nigerian startup that offers an identity verification platform based primarily on selfie onboarding, comparing videos or images of an end user to their physical ID. The startup is backed by Y Combinator, which may have helped to heighten its appeal to San Diego-based HUMBL. The collaboration appears to be restricted to the African market, with HUMBL explaining in a statement that “HUMBL customers in Africa will now be able to seamlessly verify their identity and set up their HUMBL account through Dojah.”

VSBLTY Adapts Computer Vision Tech to Retail ‘Purchase Validation’

VSBLTY appears to be adapting its computer vision technology to automated self-checkout applications. The company says it has won a $500k contract “enable specific product recognition and point-of-sale purchase validation” while also collecting what CEO Jay Hutton described as “anonymized analytics”—presumably a reference to the company’s face biometrics technology, which is designed to recognize the demographic data of shoppers. The new system is being developed in tandem with two partners, and VSBLTY says it will initially be deployed in Mexico City bodegas in Q1 of 2024.

American Equine Association Seeks Biometric Sensor Tech

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of a biometric wearable for horses that can be used to detect musculoskeletal injuries. The move comes after Pin Oak Stud, a prominent farm known for its racehorses implemented a policy requiring horses to be outfitted with sensors during certain training sessions, in the wake of the injury and euthanizing of one of its star horses. The AAEP’s RFP deadline is set for February 15 of 2024.

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November 23, 2023 – by Alex Perala