Biometric Guns Safes in South Carolina 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:

Thai Police Call for Biometric Upgrade

The Royal Thai Police agency is calling for an upgrade to the biometric identification system used by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau, highlighting the potential benefits of implementing more sophisticated artificial intelligence. The calls come after recent abduction and ransom cases involving Chinese nationals, and the resulting discussions between RTP officials and a Chinese diplomat. The RTP has also asked for more intensive border screening practices.

BC Regulator Says Retailer’s Facial Recognition Violated Privacy Laws

The privacy commissioner for the Canadian province of British Columbia has delivered an official report on a popular retailer’s use of facial recognition, finding that it violated BC’s Personal Information Protection Act by failing to get customers’ consent for the collection of their biometrics, failing to provide adequate notification about the use of facial recognition, and failing to establish a reasonable purpose for the use of facial recognition.Twelve Canadian Tire stores were using the technology for a period of about three years, but the chain discontinued its use when the privacy commissioner announced an investigation into four of the deployments.

SC School District Deploys Biometric Gun Safes

Officials have installed biometric gun safes in 18 schools across the Oconee County School District in South Carolina. The safes can only be unlocked with a fingerprint scan, and each school’s “School Resource Officer” is meant to be the only individual registered for access. The biometric safes were acquired through the Oconee Sheriff’s Foundation, with the deployment illustrated the growing use of biometrics in gun safety. Earlier this month saw the official launch of the BioFire ‘smart gun’, a handgun that can only be unlocked with a fingerprint or face scan.

NEC Celebrates Strong Performance in Biometric Technology Rally

NEC Corporation of America is celebrating another strong performance on the part of its NeoFace facial recognition technology in the Department of Homeland Security’s annual Biometric Technology Rally. In a statement, the company said its NeoFace solution achieved “a perfect match rate of 100 percent for various racial demographics tested,” adding later that it has demonstrated a 99.8 percent ‘true identification rate’ through most biometric acquisition devices. Read our full story.

Australian Biometrics Firm Pursues SPAC Deal

Australia-based Elenium Automation is looking to raise tens of millions of dollars through a Special Purpose Acquisition Company deal. SPACs are publicly traded shell companies that aim to merge with a private business, infusing the latter with cash from investors while taking it to a public listing. Elenium, which offers a biometric passenger screening solution for airports based on face and palm scanning, hopes to raise its valuation 54 percent through the SPAC merger, to $185 million. But with the company anticipated revenues under $10 million this year and negative EBITDA, shareholder approval for the merger is not a guarantee.

Ondato Brings KYB to Poland

London-based Ondato has announced a new “Know Your Business” solution aimed specifically at the Polish market. Building on the foundation of Ondato’s KYC and AML solutions, the KYB offering is designed to give clients a comprehensive set of data about Poland-based entities, including those that are on any sanctions lists. It was built to help organizations comply with the European Union’s 5th AML Directive (5AMLD) as well as a sanctions regime passed by the Polish parliament last year.

Purdue Opts for Mobile Student ID

Purdue University has become the latest high-profile academic institution to embrace mobile ID technology for students. The school’s new Purdue Mobile ID is compatible with Android devices, iPhones, and the Apple Watch, and can be used to access campus facilities and pay for school meals and laundry services. Purdue will start issuing mobile IDs to all undergraduate students this summer, and end the issuance of physical ID cards, with the aim of transitioning all of its 50,000 West Lafayette campus students to mobile in the next few years.

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April 20, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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