Big New Appointments at the Pentagon and the STA – 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:

U of T’s Citizen Lab Comments on Privacy Commissioner’s Biometric Guidance

The Citizen Lab, affiliated with the University of Toronto, has submitted a detailed response to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s (OPC) public consultation on its draft guidance for biometric data processing. The submission, made by Senior Research Associate Kate Robertson and Research Assistant Verónica Arroyo, emphasizes the need for a clearer definition of biometric data, recognizing it as a sensitive form of personal information. It also suggests that the term “biometric data” should be used instead of “biometrics” to better reflect the nature of the data as personal and sensitive. The Lab’s recommendations further highlight the importance of transparency about the collection and processing of biometric data, the need for guidelines on the sensitivity of different types of biometric data, and the consideration of human rights impacts as a form of potential harm.

Arc2Face Can Generate Unique Synthetic Faces Based on Digital ‘Fingerprint’

Researchers have published a new paper detailing an AI model to generate synthetic faces. The paper describes Arc2Face, a tool designed to create highly realistic and varied images of human faces based on a unique digital “fingerprint” of someone’s face, known as the ArcFace embedding. Arc2Face is specially tailored to generate faces from these digital fingerprints without needing any text descriptions, which sets it apart from other methods that mix text and facial data. This means Arc2Face can focus solely on the facial features, avoiding the confusion that text descriptions might introduce, and ensuring that the generated images maintain a consistent identity. The technology has also proven to be effective in training systems to recognize faces by using the synthetic (computer-generated) images it creates, which could help improve the performance of facial recognition systems without the need for real human images, addressing privacy concerns and potentially reducing biases in training data.

White House Appoints First Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy

President Joe Biden has nominated Michael Sulmeyer as the inaugural Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, a newly established role within the Pentagon. Sulmeyer, who is currently the principal cyber advisor to the Secretary of the Army, has an extensive background in cybersecurity and defense, including previous positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and Cyber Command. His appointment comes in response to the FY2023 defense policy bill’s directive for a presidentially appointed civilian to lead cyber policy efforts, reflecting growing concerns over the Pentagon’s focus on cyber strategy.

Former FIDO Director to Head STA

The Secure Technology Alliance has named Christina Hulka as its new Executive Director. Hulka previously served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the FIDO Alliance, a position she held from May of 2019 until this month. In announcing her new appointment, the STA also noted that Hulka was “heavily involved in the implementation and interoperability of EMV and contactless payments through her past work at Visa and the board of EMVCo.” Hulka was Visa’s Senior Director of Global Chip Operations and Analytics from January of 2013 to August of 2016.

BIPA Lawsuits for Blockchain, Jumio

An Illinois resident has filed a class action lawsuit against major cryptocurrency company Blockchain (US), Inc. The lawsuit alleges that Blockchain illegally collected biometric data, including fingerprints and facial scans, from over 1,000 Illinois residents. This alleged collection violates the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which requires that companies obtain consent and provide clear guidelines for biometric data collection, use, and retention. If successful, the class could be entitled to significant financial damages under BIPA.

Jumio is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly breaching BIPA. The plaintiff, Jacob Czyszczon, claims Jumio improperly collected, stored, and utilized his biometric data without obtaining the necessary consent. This legal action, lodged in San Francisco federal court on March 18, centers around Czyszczon’s experience with Jumio during his registration for a Phemex account, a process in which his face biometrics were processed for identity verification. Phemex is a cryptocurrency trading platform.

Worldcoin Embraces ‘Personal Custody’

The digital ID platform Worldcoin has announced a new initiative called “Personal Custody,” in which biometric information captured during the registration for a World ID will now be stored directly on the user’s device, such as a smartphone, allowing users the autonomy to manage, and if desired, delete their data. This move towards personal custody is seen as an advancement from the project’s previous practice of encrypting and storing data, addressing potential concerns about privacy and data security. It’s part of Worldcoin’s broader effort to position itself as a “human passport for the internet,” amidst scrutiny from regulatory bodies thanks to its use of iris scanning devices for biometric user registration.

Korea’s Hancom Invests in FacePhi

Hancom, a South Korean technology company, has announced a strategic investment in FacePhi. Through the deal, Hancom secures exclusive rights to FacePhi’s technologies in the Asia-Pacific region and plans to white label FacePhi’s solutions, offering them under the Hancom brand. The investment positions Hancom as FacePhi’s second-largest shareholder and marks a significant step in Hancom’s ambition to expand its presence in the global AI market by integrating FacePhi’s biometric technologies with its existing AI and security solutions.

Signicat Acquires Iceland’s SmartWorks

Norway-based Signicat has acquired SmartWorks, an Icelandic firm focused on e-signatures, authentication, and digital document delivery. Signicat has shown an appetite for strategic acquisitions, having acquired six other firms since 2019, including the Dutch digital identity specialist Connectis in early 2020. In a statement announcing its latest acquisition, Signicat described SmartWorks as “Iceland’s largest provider of digital identity and fraud prevention in electronic signing,” asserting that the deal would extend Signicat’s Europe-wide presence. SmartWorks’ customers include Íslandsbanki, Brimborg and the City of Reykjavik. Read the full story on Mobile ID World.

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March 25, 2024 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team