Clearview OK’d for Cobb County Cops: 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:

Cobb County Cops Get Green Light for Clearview Contract

Commissioners in Georgia’s Cobb County have approved police plans to use Clearview AI’s facial recognition platform. The approval opens the door to a three-year contract between the Cobb County Police Department and the controversial biometrics specialist. After trialling Clearview’s software earlier this year, the police department established policy guidelines concerning who would get access to the system and under what circumstances; Cobb’s commissioners approved the plan in a 5-0 vote.

Microsoft to Face BIPA Lawsuit Over Uber Driver Checks

A federal court has ruled that Microsoft must face a class action lawsuit over Uber’s use of its “Real Time ID Check”, which is alleged to have violated Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The system uses facial recognition technology to verify drivers’ identities, by way of Microsoft’s Face Application Programming Interface.

Genesis SUV to Get Face Unlock, Biometric Ignition

Genesis will implement a biometric access control system in its GV60 electric SUV. The system will enable a driver to unlock their car via facial recognition. It will also feature a fingerprint-based ignition system, and it will support Digital Keys stored on users’ smartphones or smartwatches.

Dominican Police Make Hundreds of Arrests Using Mobile App

Police in the Dominican Republic say that a mobile face-scanning app has enabled them to arrest 843 fugitives over the past four months. The Citizenship and Biometric Identification System app started rolling out in June of this year. It is designed to match faces against over 10 million records stored in a central government database, and will alert police if a given subject has a pending arrest warrant.

Metaverse Avatar Startup Builds Marketing Team

Metaverse startup Metaphysic has appointed Erika Coppel as its Chief Marketing Officer and Beni Issembert as its “Chief Metaverse Officer”. Founded last year, the startup is focused on developing a web3 platform that lets users create “hyperreal” avatars based on their face and voice biometrics. Coppel has previously served in marketing roles with organizations including Mercedes-Benz and OnlyFans. Issembert has served as Chief Marketing Officer for multiple blockchain and digital entertainment companies; his role at Metaphysic will be to “guide the company’s web3 efforts through strategic partnerships, the continued creation of hyperreal content, and the exploration of new technologies and research,” the company said.

CyberLink Attains FIDO UAF Level 1 Certification

Taipei-based CyberLink has attained FIDO Alliance UAF Level 1 certification for its FaceMe facial recognition platform, attesting to its security and interoperability protocols. The FaceMe solution also recently passed the iBeta ISO PAD Level 2 evaluation program.

FPC Sensor Integrated Into Nuki Keypad

Fingerprint Cards’ FPC1025 fingerprint sensor has been integrated into a new access control solution from Nuki. The Nuki Keypad 2.0 can be used to unlock a Nike Smart Lock via either a six-digit code or a fingerprint scan, with each unit supporting up to 20 registered fingerprints. “We are proud to offer support to innovative lock makers and suppliers who value the many advantages that smart biometrics solutions provide,” commented Fingerprints Payment and Access President Michel Roig.

ROC Launches Upgraded LiveScan Solution

Rank One Computing has launched Facial LiveScan v2.0, a flexible and scalable solution supporting presentation attack detection and liveness detection capabilities, as well as ISO and ICAO standards. ROC says its new solution combines the facial recognition technology delivered in ROC SDK v2.3 with an updated LiveScan API and image quality validation. It’s available as a browser-based solution or via an Android application.

An Epic Data Breach?

Healthcare management specialist Epic Management has disclosed a data breach that may included the compromise of biometric data, among other pieces of information such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and medical data. Epic says that an unauthorized actor had gained access to its email tenant, and that it took immediate action. It says it’s informing customers “out of an abundance of caution”.

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December 14, 2022 – by Alex Perala