Aware CEO Joins International Biometrics + Identity Association Board

The International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) has made Robert Eckel the latest addition to its Board of Directors. Eckel is the President and CEO of Aware, Inc., and has more than three decades of experience in the fields of identity, security, and biometrics.

The IBIA is an industry association that advocates for the interests of biometric technology developers. As a member of the Board, Eckel will be expected to support the organization’s various education and policy initiatives as they try to promote the use of biometrics and dispel any misconceptions that people may have about the technology.

For its part, Aware is hoping that Eckel’s position will give him a more comprehensive view of the biometrics industry, and that he will be able to use those insights to guide the development of Aware’s portfolio. Eckel joined the company in September of 2019, and has previously held executive positions with companies like IDEMIA, MorphoTrust, L-1, and Digimarc.

“My passion has always been to build and lead companies that enable individuals to experience the life we deserve through technology, which includes the ability to Own your identity,” said Eckel. “This aligns with the mission of IBIA, and I am honored to be elected to their Board of Directors to help drive the adoption and responsible use of biometric technologies.”

Some of the IBIA’s advocacy efforts have placed it at odds with privacy watchdogs in the past few years. The organization called for the repeal of San Francisco’s facial recognition ban, and it later contested a NIST study that found considerable evidence of racial bias in facial recognition algorithms. Several more cities have passed their own bans in the months since, while the issue of bias has taken on a greater urgency as people have raised concerns about police abuses of the technology.

Aware’s liveness detection tech recently received iBeta Level 2 certification. The company credited its Knomi authentication platform for its improved revenues in the third quarter of 2020.

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November 12, 2020 – by Eric Weiss