Another New Start Date for the EU’s Entry/Exit Scheme – 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:

EU’s Entry/Exit Scheme to Take Effect October 6, 2024: Report

The European Union’s biometric Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) will begin to be implemented on October 6 of next year, according to Eurotunnel, the operator of the transportation tunnel between the United Kingdom and France. The EES has seen a number of delays so far, which has, in turn, pushed back the implementation schedule of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a related project that is focused on the registration of foreigners who don’t need a visa to enter the EU’s Schengen free travel zone. With respect to the pending implementation of EES, The Independent reports that member states will need to confirm by August that they are ready for its launch.

US, Costa Rica to Share Biometric Data

The United States and Costa Rica have agreed to share biometric data in a bid to counter security threats. Following a bilateral meeting between the countries’ Presidents in late August, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma and Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo Andre led a “U.S.-Costa Rica High-Level Strategic Dialogue” this month, which resulted in the announcement of several initiatives, including a plan to “identify public security threats by sharing real-time biometric information”, according to a note from the State Department.

Union Pacific Railroad Must Disclose Number of Truckers’ Fingerprint Scans

A judge has ordered Union Pacific Railroad Co. to hand over documents with information about the number of times truckers had to use a fingerprint sensor at its facilities. The transport company is being sued under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which has been interpreted by the Illinois Supreme Court to apply damages on a ‘per-scan’ basis. Plaintiff truck drivers asked for the information as part of the discovery process. Another railroad company, the Illinois Central Railroad Co., came to a $3.8 million settlement in a similar case last year.

American Express Upgrades to SafeKey 2.3

American Express has become the first payment network to upgrade to SafeKey EMV 3-D Secure 2.3, the latest version of the security protocol for online credit and debit card transactions. American Express says the upgrade offers “further biometric support, enhanced payment information, and user interface improvements.” The biometric support comes by way of “Secure Payment Confirmation”, a web API that is meant to let merchants accept biometric authentication from customers.

Jamaica’s Sangster Airport Begins Trial of Biometric e-Gates

Six biometric e-gates are now being tested at Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, and an additional three are being installed at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. The e-gates are designed to match a user’s face to the biometric data stored in their e-passport. MBJ Airports Limited CEO Shane Munroe had revealed plans to implement a biometric passenger processing system in Jamaica at a SIA forum earlier this year.

Verizon Brings Biometric Entry to Another Stadium

The Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina will debut a face-based expedited entry system this weekend, at a matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons. Individuals can opt into the “Express entry” program via their Ticketmaster accounts. It’s the result of a collaboration between the stadium’s management and Verizon, which brought a similar biometric entry system, dubbed “Accelerated Access”, to Tennessee’s Nissan Stadium earlier this year.

FIDO Alliance Welcomes More Allies in Japan

Japan’s SBI Sumishin Net Bank has joined the FIDO Alliance as a Sponsor member, while the Japanese e-commerce company Mercari has been named to FIDO’s Board of Directors. The developments were announced at the recent FIDO Tokyo Seminar, where the post-password advocacy group also celebrated the growing adoption of passkeys, which let users log into online accounts through a PIN or biometric scan on their smartphone. Mercari says is has 2.1 million users signed up for passkey authentication, which has dramatically improved login speeds and success rates.

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December 15, 2023 – by Alex Perala