ID Tech Digest – December 20, 2024

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:

NEXT FAP30 Fingerprint Sensor Sees ‘Strong and Positive Feedback’ in Sampling

NEXT Biometrics has introduced its first FAP30 fingerprint sensors, receiving positive initial feedback and prompting the company to revise its total addressable market estimates upwards. These sensors, compliant with FBI FAP30 standards, provide large, high-resolution fingerprint images suitable for applications in law enforcement, government, and high-security environments. Using Active Thermal technology, the sensors achieve high accuracy under challenging conditions and incorporate anti-spoofing capabilities. NEXT’s Chief Product Officer, Marcus Lauren, highlighted the sensors’ exceptional image quality and liveness detection features. Initial market analysis estimated demand at one million units, but outstanding tenders suggest a larger potential market. This development reflects NEXT’s recent focus on high-end sensors and market expansion in China and India, alongside improved operational efficiency and gross margins.

Cyta Adopts Cyprus Government’s Digital ID System for Customer Verification

Cyta, Cyprus’ leading telecommunications provider, will adopt the government’s digital identity verification system through the “Digital Citizen” application starting December 23, 2024. This integration enables customers to electronically verify their identities at Cyta stores, streamlining transaction processes. The initiative has launched under Cyprus’ digital transformation efforts under the IDMe.cy system, which supports compliance with the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation. The application securely stores digital identity cards, driving licenses, and other official documents, meeting EU cybersecurity standards.

Little Rock Police Documents Reveal Facial Recognition Policy Despite Previous Denials

Documents reveal that the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) permits the use of facial recognition technology in specific felony investigations, contradicting prior public assurances that the department does not use such tools. General Order 338 (G.O. 338) allows facial recognition deployment with written approval from the Chief of Police and authorization by the Assistant Chief of Police for Investigative Bureau in extreme cases where other methods have been exhausted. Despite this policy, LRPD spokesperson Mark Edwards stated the department has never used facial recognition and does not currently have access to the technology. The department operates a real-time crime center, managed by contractor Axon-Fusus, which uses object recognition capabilities but explicitly avoids facial recognition.

AuthID Partners with EinStrong Foundation to Secure Charitable Aid Distribution

AuthID has partnered with the EinStrong Foundation to integrate facial biometric authentication into philanthropic operations, enhancing the security and efficiency of aid distribution. AuthID’s technology processes verifications in approximately 700 milliseconds, achieving a false match rate of 1 in 1 billion while operating without storing biometric data to ensure privacy compliance. The partnership incorporates AuthID’s authentication system into EinStrong’s ESi App, enabling donor-verified identity checks for aid recipients and expanding EinStrong’s reach into Asia and Africa. The collaboration leverages AuthID’s scalable infrastructure, demonstrated through its $10 million deployment in India, to address challenges in fund allocation and recipient authentication while maintaining privacy and transparency in aid distribution.

Germany’s GIZ Launches Digital Identity and E-Services Platform Tender in Benin

Germany’s development agency, GIZ, has issued a tender to advance digital public services in Benin, aiming to establish the country as a regional digital hub and promote economic growth. The project focuses on developing a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) environment for e-service creation, interoperability, and security, integrating digital identity and biometric systems such as fingerprints and facial recognition. Building on Benin’s National Register of Persons, which maintains biometric data and unique identification numbers for 10 million citizens, the initiative will enhance an existing e-services portal offering 250 services. It incorporates scalable, container-based technologies like Docker and Kubernetes to support increasing service demands. Capacity-building programs for civil servants and developers will ensure the sustainability of the infrastructure, aligning with Germany’s Digital Transformation Center framework, which promotes public-private partnerships in digital innovation. The tender closes on January 20, 2025, with a 10-month project timeline.

Audit Flags Transparency Issues, Bureaucratic Delays in FBI’s Facial Recognition and AI Adoption

The DEA and FBI face significant hurdles in adopting AI and facial recognition technologies, as highlighted in a new audit mandated by the FY 2023 NDAA. The FBI struggles with transparency from AI vendors, particularly regarding Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), which prevents thorough ethical reviews of AI tools. A pause in the FBI’s AI Ethics Council’s approval process, stemming from new regulatory guidance, has extended AI use case review times to an average of 173 days. Additional barriers include funding constraints, outdated IT systems, and difficulties in recruiting technical talent. Despite these challenges, the FBI has implemented governance measures, including an AI Policy Directive, while the DEA relies on AI tools developed by intelligence partners.

German Regulator Orders Worldcoin to Delete Biometric Data Over GDPR Violations

Germany’s Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) has ordered Worldcoin to delete biometric data collected during its initial operations phase and enhance its data protection practices to align with GDPR requirements. The investigation, which began in April 2023, scrutinized Worldcoin’s iris-derived biometric data collection for its World ID system, which uses Orb devices to scan users’ irises to prevent duplicate registrations. The ruling mandates Worldcoin to establish a GDPR-compliant data deletion process within one month and delete iris codes collected without sufficient legal basis in 2023. Explicit user consent will also be required for specific data processing activities moving forward. Worldcoin has appealed, arguing that its Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) meet EU anonymization standards, though this remains unresolved.

Pakistan to Launch Facial Recognition System for Elderly Pensioners in 2025

Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will launch a nationwide facial recognition system on January 15, 2025, to address identity verification challenges faced by elderly citizens, particularly those with faded fingerprints. The system will be accessible through the Pak-ID mobile app and NADRA registration centers, offering an alternative to traditional fingerprint-based methods. NADRA Chairman Lt. Gen. Muhammad Munir Afsar emphasized the initiative’s role in streamlining verification processes and improving access to essential services for over 15 million Pakistani citizens aged 60 and above. This development aligns with NADRA’s broader modernization efforts, including the creation of the National Registration and Biometric Policy Framework and the Digital Economy Enhancement Project. It builds on the success of the Pak-ID app launched in 2021, which introduced remote biometric registration.

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December 20, 2024 – by Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala