Biometric Gun Safes Are Coming to More Schools – 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:

Biometric Gun Safes Come to Indiana Schools

At least seven school corporations in the state of Indiana are setting up on-premises emergency response teams that will have access to biometric safes containing firearms, in an effort to secure their staff and students against potential shootings. Such programs are eligible for state funding, thanks to legislation signed into law this year. It’s the latest sign of what appears to be a growing trend, with biometric gun safes having been deployed across 18 schools in South Carolina earlier this year.

Swiss Political Candidates Broadly Support Public Facial Recognition Ban: Survey

A strong majority of candidates for Switzerland’s House of Representatives and Senate are in favor of banning facial recognition in public spaces, according to polling by an alliance of advocacy groups. Nearly 78 percent of candidates for the House of Representatives said they would prefer a ban, as did just about 84 percent of those running for the Council of States. Elections of those legislative bodies are scheduled to take place on October 22nd of this year.

Indian State Court Wants Answers On Failure to Use Biometric IDV in Civil Service Exams

The Telangana High Court in the south-central Indian state is demanding answers from Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) after its alleged failure to implement a biometric identity verification process in competitive examinations. The court has demanded a written explanation from the TSPSC, including a response to the question of whether the civil service organization encountered difficulties implementing the biometric technology.

Corsight AI Tech Used to Enforce Self-Exclusion in Australia

Corsight AI’s facial recognition technology is being used to enforce ‘self-exclusions’ at over a dozen pubs, clubs, and entertainment venues in Australia, thanks to a partnership with AusComply. The self-exclusion policies are meant to help patrons experiencing problem gambling to avoid such behavior by putting themselves on lists of persons who should be denied entry, but can be difficult to enforce without AI tools. “It’s not easy to remember self-excluders from a picture on a piece of paper, so we jumped at the opportunity to lead in this effort,” explained one hotel manager who implemented the system.

BlackBerry Powers Mitsubishi Electric’s In-Car Biometric Systems

Mitsubishi Electric has developed a new in-cabin IT system for electric vehicles that features a biometric driver monitoring system. The news comes by way of the company’s announcement of a partnership with BlackBerry, whose BlackBerry IVY data platform is supporting various Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect features, including a facial recognition system for automated vehicle access, a system designed to monitor driver distraction and signs of drowsiness, and a system that collects biometric information “to provide insight into short- and long-term changes to a driver’s physical status,” the companies explained.

Onfido Names New CTO

Onfido has appointed Daniel Keller as its new Chief Technology Officer. Keller comes to the company from a previous role as CTO of Visable Group; in a statement, Onfido explained that “under his direction, the company transformed from a B2B directory provider to Europe’s leading B2B marketplace.” Keller’s CV also includes experience with various startups, an engineering management role at Microsoft, and executive positions with Scout24, Ciao!, Zanox (AWIN), Axel Springer, Hitfox (IONIQ Group).

Nordic-Baltic Ministers Push for Digital ID Interoperability

The Nordic and Baltic Ministers of Digitalisation have announced an effort to ensure that member countries’ residents will be able to use their digital IDs across borders — a move that could open the door to a digital identity system such as Denmark’s MitID being used to access online services in, for example, Sweden. The regional group includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. Digital identity authorities in the member countries will work with their counterparts to ensure that identity matching can be performed reliably across borders.

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September 27, 2023 – by Alex Perala