Welcome to ID Tech’s digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
DHS/CBP Pushes ESTA and I-94 Toward Mobile, Biometric and Social-Media-Heavy Vetting
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has outlined major changes to ESTA and I-94 programs that expand the use of biometrics, mobile apps and open-source intelligence. ESTA applicants would be required to submit a selfie and complete applications through a mobile-only channel, while previously optional social media identifiers would become mandatory. CBP is also tightening integration with its Voluntary Self-Reported Exit pilot, allowing travelers to confirm departures via facial image and device location in the CBP Home app. The proposed changes increase reliance on biometric verification and behavioral data, raising questions around proportionality, data retention and cross-system governance for organizations that integrate with U.S. travel identity infrastructure.
Saviynt Raises 700 Million Dollars to Extend Identity Governance to AI Agents
Saviynt has closed a 700 million dollar growth round led by KKR, valuing the identity security vendor at roughly 3 billion dollars. The company positions identity governance as a control plane for AI agents and non-human identities, alongside workforce and privileged access. Saviynt says the funding will support global expansion and product development as enterprises adopt autonomous agents that require auditable, least-privilege access. The round reflects growing investor confidence that identity governance will play a central role in managing AI-driven workflows and reducing risk from over-privileged machine accounts.
Fingerprint Cards’ AllKey Pro Lands Design Win for FIDO2 Authenticators in India
Fingerprint Cards has secured a design win in India for its AllKey Pro secure microcontroller, which will power a new line of FIDO2 hardware security keys. The selection by a local authentication device manufacturer reflects growing demand for phishing-resistant, device-bound credentials in public-sector and enterprise environments. AllKey Pro supports FIDO2 and WebAuthn and can be paired with on-device fingerprint sensors, offering an alternative to SMS-based authentication. The design win highlights India’s push toward stronger authentication methods and signals potential growth in hardware-based identity assurance across emerging markets.
Smartkem and SJTU Demonstrate All-Organic Biometric Sensor for Flexible IDs
Smartkem and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have unveiled a prototype all-organic biometric sensor designed for flexible identity cards and wearable credentials. The research uses organic thin-film transistor technology as both sensor and circuitry, eliminating rigid silicon components. The approach could enable bendable or embedded ID form factors capable of on-device biometric verification. While still at the research stage, the work points toward future identity credentials that integrate sensing directly into flexible materials, raising new questions around durability, spoof resistance and lifecycle assurance.
Canada Formalizes CAN/DGSI 103-0:2025 as National Digital Trust and Identity Standard
The Digital Governance Standards Institute has confirmed that CAN/DGSI 103-0:2025 has been adopted as a National Standard of Canada. The standard provides a technology-agnostic code of practice for digital identity, credentials and trust services, aligned with the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework and international regimes such as eIDAS. Its national status means it can now be referenced in procurement, regulation and assurance activities. For identity vendors and service providers, the move establishes a domestic benchmark for governance, interoperability and lifecycle controls across Canadian digital identity programs.
iProov Teams with HYPR on Deepfake-Resistant Workforce Onboarding
HYPR and iProov have announced a partnership that combines passwordless workforce authentication with biometric identity verification. The integration links high-assurance onboarding, anchored in document and selfie verification, to device-bound FIDO credentials used for daily access. The companies position the joint offering as a defense against deepfake-enabled impersonation during remote hiring and privileged access events. The collaboration reflects growing emphasis on binding strong human identity proofing to phishing-resistant authenticators in workforce identity stacks.
Malaysia Moves to “Sign In with MyDigital ID” Across All Telco Apps
Malaysia is requiring all mobile network operators to integrate MyDigital ID verification into their apps, effectively turning the national digital ID into a default login layer for telco services. The policy aims to reduce scam calls and SIM misuse by binding phone numbers and accounts to verified identities. Subscribers can view and manage prepaid numbers linked to their national ID, while new SIM registrations must be verified through MyDigital ID. The mandate strengthens fraud controls but also concentrates identity verification within a single government-operated scheme.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team