BIPA, Biometrics, and a Couple of Tech Giants: 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:

H&M Faces Class Action Suit Under BIPA

The multinational clothing company H&M has become the latest high-profile firm to face a class action lawsuit under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The class action lawsuit, now certified by a state court, revolves around H&M’s use of a fingerprint-scanning time and attendance tracking system. Like many other organizations that have done so, H&M is accused of failing to obtain workers’ explicit consent for the collection of their biometric data, and failing to provide the disclosures about its handling of biometric data required under BIPA.

Gastroenterology Practice Settles Data Breach Lawsuit

Illinois Gastroenterology Group, an independent practice in the Chicago area, has reached an undisclosed settlement of a class action lawsuit concerning a data breach in October of 2021. The breach compromised the information of almost 228,000 patients, including personally identifying information, and health and biometric data; and the lawsuit claimed that the practice had failed to take reasonable cybersecurity measures to protect the data.

TECH5 Consolidates Biometric Modalities Into Single Platform

TECH5 has consolidated its various biometric matching technologies into a single platform: the aptly named “T5-OmniMatch”. The solution encompasses a new, comprehensive software development kit called “T5-OmniMatch BioSDK”, as well as “T5-OmniMatch ABIS”, which combines the company’s previous matching platforms T5-MBAP and T5-ABIS. Read our full story.

AU10TIX Collaborates With Microsoft On Digital ID

AU10TIX has revealed that it is working with Microsoft on a digital identity system called “Reusable ID”. The solution, described by the company as a breakthrough in verifiable credentials architecture, leverages Microsoft’s Entra Verified ID solution together with AU10TIX’s biometric identity and document verification technology, as well as the latter’s Instinct tool for monitoring synthetic fraud. Representatives from both companies will share more information in a webinar on March 28.

Gorilla Launches Computer Vision Edge Device

Gorilla Technology Group has announced a new edge device for computer vision, developed in partnership with Taiwan-based electronics firm Lanner and Tel Aviv-based AI processor specialist Hailo. The E-300 Edge AI Appliance supports AI capabilities including behavior analytics, facial recognition, and person detection, and can process 24 channels of real-time video using an “entry-level” CPU, according to Gorilla. “We believe this comprehensive solution will expedite the adoption of video analytics and streamline Edge AI deployments at scale,” said Gorilla’s Chief Innovation Officer, Rajesh Natarajan.

Patent Points to Ongoing Work On In-display Face ID

A recently filed patent suggests that Apple’s engineers are continuing to explore the implementation of a facial recognition system under the iPhone’s display. According to a Gizmochina report, the patent details the use of a “quantum film infrared sensor” that would be able to sense objects’ proximity, capture images, scan faces, and track a user’s gaze and gestures. The news comes after a report earlier this year from a Korean trade journal claiming that Apple plans to deliver an under-display Face ID system in its 2024 line of iPhones, though display components expert Ross Young claims it won’t achieve its goal until 2025.

–

March 27, 2023 – by Alex Perala

Want to get the identity news digest early? Become a member and get the digest sent straight to your inbox, before it’s published on FindBiometrics: