Biometrics Developments from Ireland to Kazakhstan to Toronto

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

Ireland’s Justice Minister Gets Green Light for FRT Legislation

Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, has received government approval to publish legislation – the General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2023 – that would let the country’s An Garda Síochána national police force use facial recognition technology in certain circumstances. The move is being framed as a response to violent riots in the city of Dublin last month, which prompted government authorities to seek to empower police with biometric tools that can be used to identify culprits in security camera footage. The General Scheme will not be sent to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice for pre-legislative scrutiny, and to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting.

Toronto Police Advised to Purge Data of Acquitted Suspects

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is urging the Toronto Police Service to purge its databases of any biometric data from charges that did not result in convictions. The recommendation is just one of a set of 100 specific recommendations aimed at addressing anti-black racism, with others including recommendations to require “supervisory approval and/or equity audits of charges”, and to support “calls to expand civilian-led mental health crisis response services”.

Texas County Sets Aside Money for Clearview AI

The Sheriff’s Office of Hays County, Texas, has become the latest local law enforcement body to pursue access to Clearview AI’s facial recognition platform. In so doing, it has revealed some pricing information via its 2024 fiscal year budget. The county will pay $6,495 a year for access to the technology over a three-year period, meaning total spending on the project will amount to $19,485. Situated in central Texas, Hays County has a population of roughly a quarter of a million people.

Biometric Fare Payments Come to Kazakhstan

The Almaty Metro subway system in Kazakhstan has begun trialling a face-based fare payment system, with terminals installed at its Abai and Bauyrzhan Momyshuly stations. The effort has been undertaken in partnership with Halyk Bank, whose customers can set up their Face Pay profiles using the bank’s mobile app.

IDIQ Exec Joins ITRC’s AIR Advisory Board

IDIQ’s Michael Scheumack is joining the Identity Theft Resource Center’s newly-formed Alliance for Identity Resilience (AIR) Advisory Board. Scheumack serves as the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for IDIQ, which is a California-based specialist in credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and data breach management. On the ITRC’s AIR Advisory Board, he will join a handful of other professionals including biometrics and digital identity technology Arun Vemury and FaceTec SVP Jay Meier, among others. Scheumack was also recently named to the Cyber Center of Excellence Board of Directors.

WebAuthn Teams with Web3 Specialist

WebAuthn has partnered with Safe, which has developed an eponymous blockchain-based protocol offering custody solutions for Web3 assets. The companies have jointly developed “SafeAuth”, a kind of digital ID solution that is designed to let end users set up a “smart account” that is linked to a social network login, and to then use it to access hundreds of dApps, or decentralized applications, on Web3. “By integrating Web3Auth’s innovative social login technology with Safe’s pioneering account abstraction, we’re elevating the crypto experience, significantly enhancing user convenience,” explained Safe co-founder and Product Lead Tobias Schubotz.

Yoti Opts for ROC.ai’s FRT

ROC.ai’s facial recognition technology will power Yoti’s selfie-based identity verification software, thanks to a new agreement between the companies. ROC.ai is acclaimed for its commitment to technological advancement; the company reached Level 2 of iBeta’s Presentation Attack Detection evaluation program this past summer, and more recently added iris recognition to its solutions portfolio. But the company is perhaps just as well known for its commitment to “delivering technology that respects privacy and works for all races, ages and genders,” as Yoti phrased it in a statement announcing the partnership.

SutiSoft Launches Digital Signature App

SutiSoft has launched a new digital signing app that is integrated with the WhatsApp messaging platform. Dubbed “SutiSign”, the app supports multiple authentication mechanisms, including email, one-time passcodes via SMS, and biometric authentication. SutiSoft also asserted in a statement that the app supports “ID verification such as driver’s license or passport, ensure agreements are safely accessed and signed by the intended individual.” Based in California, SutiSoft was founded by former Alliance Semiconductor CEO ND Reddy in 2009.

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December 14, 2023 – by Alex Perala