Controversy in Kenya and an Airport Screening Rivalry

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

Kenyan Lawmakers Tell Health Insurance Fund to Abandon Biometric Procurement Plan

Kenya’s National Assembly Health Committee has instructed the country’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to abandon a plan to upgrade its biometric system amid a scandal around health insurance payments. The NHIF had reportedly paid Sh9 billion, or roughly $62.5 million, in work injury premiums even though total claims amount to Sh200 million, or about $1.4 million. Acting ICT Director Washington Okoth said the NHIF’s existing biometric system could be improved with an upgrade, rather than replaced at a greater cost.

Germany to Introduce Biometric Passport for Children

Germany is replacing its passport for children with a new, biometric version. The previous children’s passport had to be renewed every 12 months, whereas the biometric version, which includes face and fingerprint data in an embedded chip, will be good for six years. The Bundestag has passed draft legislation paving the way for the new biometric passport, and it’s expected to take effect in early 2024.

IDEMIA I&S Promotes Denver Drop-in TSA PreCheck Enrollment

IDEMIA Identity and Security (I&S) North America and the Transportation Security Administration are looking to get more travelers signed up for the TSA PreCheck expedited screening program through a new initiative at Denver International Airport. They’re inviting all United Airlines travelers to sign up for PreCheck without an appointment, until October 6. Individuals who register their biographic and fingerprint and face biometrics with TSA PreCheck get to move through security screening without having to remove their shoes, belts, light jackets, 3-1-1 liquids, and laptops. IDEMIA has been lobbying to legislators to make ID checks mandatory for members of a competing expedited screening program run by CLEAR, according to a report from Politico.

IDEMIA NSS Builds Biometric Entry System for Redstone Arsenal

IDEMIA National Security Solutions has been working on a biometric upgrade for the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, a massive training and testing center for the Army’s missile programs. In collaboration with the Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, IDEMIA NSS has developed a facial recognition system designed to scan everyone approaching on the of the base’s gates in a given car, with support for remote enrollment. Officials are currently looking for volunteers to help test the research and development project. IDEMIA announced that it had won an R&D contract to provide a biometric and digital access control system for Redstone in April of last year.

Ping Integrates Badge Support

Ping has integrated support for Badge, a selfie-based authentication app, to its PingOne DaVinci identity platform for enterprise security, which was launched in early 2022. Badge found its way to the platform through Ping’s Global Technology Partner Program, and it’s now one of more than 1,800 IAM solutions that Ping says it has integrated into its platform.

New Partnership Brings Shufti Pro to Qatar

Shufti Pro has announced its entry into the Qatar market thanks to a partnership with CWallet, a fintech startup based in the country. CWallet is licensed by the Qatar Central Bank as a Payment Services Provider, and offers a mobile wallet. A statement announcing the partnership did not specify whether CWallet is using Shufti Pro’s selfie-based customer verification technology, but said that CWallet “played a pivotal role in bringing Shufti Pro to Qatar by facilitating its approval from Qatar Central Bank”. CWallet founder and CEO Michael Javier said his team is “keen on working with Shufti Pro on a long-term basis,” including collaboration in efforts to bring his platform to new markets.

Mobile Student ID Comes to Kentucky

The University of Kentucky has become the latest post-secondary education institution to embrace mobile student IDs. Its ‘WildCard Mobile ID’ was developed by CBORD and HID, and offers students a means of accessing campus facilities and making purchases through tap-based transactions. Its launch comes as Purdue University prepares to promote its own mobile student ID through orientation programming for incoming students.

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August 16, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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Partners

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