Eurostar Loses Some Friction Thanks to Biometrics – 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:

Eurostar Officially Launches Biometric Screening System

Eurostar has officially launched its “SmartCheck” biometric gates at London’s St Pancras station, enabling Business Premier and Carte Blanche customers to complete the initial phase of traveler screening with a face scan. Eurostar began trialing the biometric system, developed in collaboration with iProov, in 2021. Travelers must still present their passports to French border authorities before boarding the train, but the biometric system is a step toward a more seamless border control process ahead of the implementation of the European Union’s planned biometric Entry/Exit System, currently planned for next year.

Zimbabwe Government Pursues Biometric Time and Attendance Tracking

Officials in Zimbabwe’s Public Service Commission are planning to implement a biometric time and attendance tracking system, according to PSC chairperson Rosemary Tsitsi Choruma. Speaking at a recent human resources convention, Choruma indicated that a biometric system was already being piloted at the PSC’s head office, and said that the aim is to ultimately roll out a broader system that connects workers’ biometrics directly to their wage payments and pensions.

Kuwait Collects Fingerprints at Shopping Malls

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has installed fingerprint scanning devices multiple shopping malls as part of an effort to collect the fingerprints of all citizens, residents, and visitors to the country. The move comes after the ministry implemented a biometric border control system earlier this year, which collected face and eye biometrics, in addition to fingerprints.

Jersey School Cafeteria to Take Biometric Payments

A school in the island of Jersey is preparing to launch a biometric payment system for its cafeteria. Jersey College for Girls has sent consent forms to the parents of its pupils asking if they’d like to enroll their child in a face-scanning system that they say will “streamline the cafeteria experience”. The system is being provided by UK-based CRB Cunninghams, a specialist in cashless payments in the education market. School administrators are planning to launch the system in the new school year.

EU Announces ‘Digital Alliance’ With LATAM, Caribbean

The European Union has announced a new “Digital Alliance” with several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a “Joint Declaration” announcing the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, it was framed as “an informal, values-based framework for cooperation” that will establish a strategic framework through which “Team Europe” can work with partners on a number of issues including data governance and protection, emerging digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital identity.

Tanzania Prepares Digital ID

Government officials in Tanzania are preparing to launch a digital ID for all citizens. The ‘Unique Number ID’ is intended to resolve administrative issues caused by a number of other, physical IDs used in the country, including those issued by the National Identification Authority, the Immigration Department, and the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency. The new ID will enable access to services across both the public and private sectors, and the project is being undertaken in collaboration with authorities in neighboring Zanzibar.

Mantra Softech Gets Patent for Fingerprint Tech

Mantra Softech has received approval from the Property Office of India for a patent concerning its Optical Fingerprint Scanner. The company’s biometric technology relies on an imaging technique based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in order to map both the external and the internal surfaces of a given fingerprint, with Mantra pitching it as a cost-effective alternative to anti-spoofing systems based on multispectral or stereo 3D imaging techniques.

Startup Takes Clearview Approach to Smart Doorbells

Irvinei, a California-based startup, has launched a smart doorbell featuring facial recognition technology. Notably, in a statement announcing the Irvinei Smart Door Bell, the company asserted that it can “identify visitors from popular social media platforms like Facebook.” Users can set up watch lists to receive alerts when certain individuals are approaching their homes. The company is inviting interested investors to reach out to its investor relations department.

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July 17, 2023 – by Alex Perala