DeSantis Redefines ‘Personal Information,’ Signs Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights Into Law – 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:

Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights Signed Into Law

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law the “Florida Digital Bill of Rights” (“FDBR”), Senate Bill 262. The legislation expands the state’s definition of “personal information” covered by the Information Protection Act to now include biometric and geolocation data. Companies deemed “controllers” of such data are required to obtain consent from consumers to process sensitive data – including biometrics – and to let consumers ask for their data to be deleted, among other provisions.

NYPD Must Hand Over Facial Recognition Details in Robbery Case

The Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division has ruled that the New York Police Department must provide detailed information about the facial recognition technology used to identify the alleged perpetrator of a robbery. The information to be handed over includes the design and specifications of the biometric technology used, with the defendant having successfully argued that access to such information could provide potentially exculpatory evidence. An initial scan through the New Jersey Regional Operations Intelligence Center’s FRT program failed to find a match, after which investigators sent surveillance footage to the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center, which identified the man now accused of the robbery as a possible match.

Long-distance Facial Recognition Showcased at ‘Security China’

Long-distance facial recognition technology had a prominent role in this week’s “Security China” event, which featured firms that have been blacklisted in the US for their alleged roles in human rights abuses in China. One such company, SenseTime, showcased facial recognition cameras featuring advanced presentation attack detection. But it was Tiandy and Zohetec that demonstrated far-range facial recognition, with the latter’s technology able to scan faces from a distance of 150 meters.

Under New CEO, Wicket Plans Expansion

Under new senior leadership, Wicket is looking to expand beyond its core focus of providing face-based access to sports venues and to potentially move into adjacent applications such as concert and conference venues, according to a Sports Business Journal report. It’s also preparing for a European expansion expected to begin in the second half of this year. Alastair Partington, the founder and former CEO of Tascent, was named Wicket’s new president at the end of last month, shortly after the appointment of Jeff Boehm as Wicket’s new CMO.

Veriff Teams With NFC ID Reading Specialist Inverid

Veriff has teamed up with Inverid in a partnership aimed at enhancing the latter’s RealID identity verification solution. RealID is designed to read government-issued IDs with embedded chips via NFC technology. Now, with the integration of Veriff’s document reading technology, RealID can be used to verify identity documents that don’t have an embedded chip. Users are simply asked to take pictures of the front and back of their ID, with Veriff’s technology reading its data.

BioCatch Ascends to Microsoft’s FSI Cloud

BioCatch’s behavioral biometrics solution is now available through Microsoft’s Cloud for Financial Services (FSI Cloud), meaning financial services organizations can purchase it directly through the Azure Marketplace. “We look forward to the enhanced opportunities this will bring to our joint customers, helping empower fraud and risk teams with behavioral biometric intelligence to act quickly while also giving consumers a safer and frictionless digital banking experience,” said Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Financial Services, Bill Borden.

Google Plans Biometric Security for Password Autofill

Google is adding a new biometric security feature to the desktop version of its Google Password Manager. Soon, users will be able to configure it to require a fingerprint or face scan before auto-filling forms. The announcement comes as a number of more convenience-focused enhancements are rolled out for the service.

Workforce Management Specialist Teams With Microsoft

India-based BetterPlace has entered into a partnership with Microsoft. The company offers a human resources management platform that features biometric time and attendance tracking based on facial recognition. In a statement, BetterPlace said its partnership with Microsoft will combine its solution with the latter’s “enterprise Cloud and AI platform, helping enterprises to effectively acquire, employ and upskill their frontline workforce.”

Robot Bartender Uses Facial Recognition for Age Verification

A new robotic bartender called “Rotender” has a biometric age verification feature. More like a sophisticated vending machine than a humanoid robot, the Rotender is designed to mix cocktails in under half a minute in order to speed through queues. It features an ID scanner and facial recognition technology designed to match the ID to the customer. It has only seen a few deployments so far, but marks a growing trend as biometric technology increasingly finds its way into the sale of alcoholic drinks at sports and entertainment venues.

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June 8, 2023 – by Alex Perala