FRVT’s Simple Twist of FATE – 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:

NIST Splits Face Biometrics Testing Program in Two

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is transforming its renowned Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) into two distinct evaluation programs. One of them, the “Face Recognition Technology Evaluation” (or “FRTE”) will be dedicated to algorithms that “involve the processing and analysis of image”, whereas the other, “Face Analysis Technology Evaluation” (“FATE”) will concern identity verification specifically. Essentially, the aim is to distinguish between facial recognition technologies and face biometrics technologies that aren’t used for biometric matching, such as age estimation tools. Testing for the programs remains ongoing.

Zwipe COO to Depart as American Subsidiary Winds Down

The head of Zwipe America will depart the firm at the end of September as the Oslo-based company’s US subsidiary closes up shop. Eric Mercer has been with the company for five and a half years, serving as both its CEO of Zwipe America and COO of Zwipe AS. But the overarching company has been making certain corporate maneuvers as it strives toward commercialization of its biometric payment cards, including an important rights issuance earlier this year and the decision to close down Zwipe America. Mercer has accepted a new position as Director of Finance for an American company.

Telangana College Workers Call for Biometric Attendance Upgrade

An employee union in the Indian state of Telangana is calling on the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH) to replace a fingerprint-scanning time and attendance system with a face- or iris-scanning one. The Telangana Schools Technical Colleges Employees Association (TSTCEA) president A. Santhosh Kumar says that some faculty are using fake fingerprints to fool the time and attendance system, while others are clocking in and out without actually staying on campus to work. They believe a system based on alternate modalities could be more effective.

UK Supermarkets Join Police Project to Fight Shoplifting

Ten major supermarkets in the United Kingdom have agreed to participate in a police-led program to fight shoplifting dubbed “Project Pegasus”. The retailers have agreed to contribute £600,000 to the effort, which will see police load CCTV images of shoplifters into the Police National Database, enabling officials to identify them using facial recognition. Policing minister Chris Philp has set a timeline of six to eight weeks for police leaders to establish a list of the most “prolific” shoplifters.

Israeli Tech Company Makes Case for Biometric Mobile ID at Seaport

BenderTech, an Israel-based biometric mobile ID company, has progressed through an accelerator program run by the Ashdod Port Company, Israeli’s national port, in collaboration with the venture capital firm 500 Global. In announcing the firms that completed its 15-week program, the Ashdod Port Company explained that they are building next-generation seaport options, and they their proof-of-concepts may lead to investment from the company. BenderTech developed a mobile ID app that uses biometric authentication, giving authorized individuals fast and secure access to facilities.

Proposed Israeli Settlement to Leverage Biometric Security

An Israeli settler organization is working with the Justice Ministry’s Guardian General and Director of Inheritance Affairs to push forward construction of a gated community in a Palestinian neighborhood that, if approved, will be bordered by an electric fence and peripheral security cameras equipped with facial recognition, according to a report from Haaretz. Construction plans for the project are scheduled to be presented to the Jerusalem District Planning Authority this week, amid a diplomatic visit from Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf.

Pre-Seed Startup Provides ‘Proof-of-Personhood’ for Web3 Platform

QuestN, a Web3 play-to-earn platform, has implemented a biometric identity verification solution care of zkMe. The “Proof-of-Personhood” solution is based on selfie biometrics, establishing an encrypted face template on the end user’s device without the need for any data to be transmitted to a server, thus ensuring a given user’s uniqueness and protecting QuestN’s platform against bot and sybil attacks. Based in Hong Kong, zkMe is a relative newcomer to the identity verification market, having been established just last year. The pre-seed startup bills itself as a “zero-knowledge Identity Oracle”.

SecuX Launches Fingerprint-Scanning Crypto Wallet

Taiwan-based SecuX has launched a new hardware wallet for crypto holdings featuring biometric security. The Shield BIO has the form factor of a standard payment card, with an embedded fingerprint sensor. SecuX was first founded in 2018, and has since launched multiple hardware wallet solutions. The company has offices in Taipei, Düsseldorf, and Los Angeles.

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September 11, 2023 – by Alex Perala