The GAO, Starlink, and the Queen: 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:

Regulatory Developments

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report urging Congress to draft “comprehensive legislation” to protect consumer privacy as more of their data is shared and collected online. The report singled out facial recognition for particular scrutiny, noting that “consumers may be unaware of potential privacy and data security risks associated with this technology, such as loss of anonymity, lack of consent, and performance differences between demographic groups, which could lead to misidentification or profiling.”

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is preparing a rule that will require software vendors to submit a standardized form attesting that their solutions were developed in accordance with guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), reports Nextgov. But the rule will also allow federal agencies to work with vendors that admit their software doesn’t adhere to NIST guidance, so long as they ensure that the vendors “require the software producer to identify those practices to which they cannot attest, document practices they have in place to mitigate those risks, and require a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) to be developed.”

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is asking for public comment concerning its Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA). The regulation concerns how public and private organizations should report data breaches and cyberattacks. CISA will accept public comment until November 14.

Product Announcements

Smart Eye has partnered with optical solutions specialist ams OSRAM on a driver and passenger monitoring system for vehicles. The companies are showcasing a proof-of-concept called the ICARUS Structured Light Evaluation Kit at this week’s In-Cabin event in Brussels, where their new rival SensorTec is also showcasing a driver monitoring solution. Smart Eye’s core technologies include gaze and gesture tracking, and facial expression analysis; the company acquired emotion AI specialist iMotions last year.

Regula has announced a new, pocket-sized handheld document scanner, dubbed the “Regula 1031”. The device stands out from Regula’s previous mobile document scanning devices with its integration of an OLED display. Another notable feature is its integrated RFID reader, enabling wireless communications with newer e-documents such as biometric passports.

Stadium Biometrics

About 20 percent of fans of the Columbus Crew soccer team in Columbus, Ohio, have opted into a face-based biometric ticketing system run by Wicket at the Lower.com Field, according to the Vice President of the team’s owner, Haslam Sports Group. Speaking at Sports Business Journal’s AXS Sports Facilities & Franchises and Ticketing Symposium in Nashville, the executive added that a smaller percentage of Cleveland Browns fans had enrolled in the system for entry to the larger FirstEnergy Stadium.

Corporate Strategy

Thales is ramping up its presence in North America. The company announced in a recent blog post that it had hired a thousand “new employees” on the continent, adding that it planned to hire an additional 300 by the end of the year, resulting in a workforce of about 6,200 across the US and Canada.

Military Strategy

Starlink may have supported Ukrainian military operations that used facial recognition and drone technology, according to analysis from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The Elon Musk-led startup uses a satellite network to provide broadband internet access, and saw deployments in parts of Ukraine where communications had been disrupted by Russian attacks. Now, Taiwan is considering emulating such tactics for its own defensive measures against potential threats, Reuters reports.

TikTok

TikTok’s Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa Pappas, testified to Congress that the social media platform does not use “any sort of facial, voice or audio, or body recognition that would identify an individual,” adding that it mainly uses biometrics to overlay graphics onto users’ faces. The COO was responding, somewhat indirectly, to a question from Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) about whether the biometric data of American users is sent to China. The question reflects intensifying scrutiny of the China-owned social media platform, which the Federal Communications Commissioner characterized as a national security risk earlier this year.

A Highly Secure Farewell

The British Queen’s funeral is turning into one of the biggest policing events that London has ever seen, with law enforcement authorities preparing to deploy a range of security solutions including sniffer dogs, rooftop snipers, and facial recognition technology. The event is anticipated to attract hundreds of thousands of mourners and, potentially, individuals and groups intending to disrupt it, prompting police to take extraordinary precautions.

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September 15, 2022 – by Alex Perala

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