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:
FaceTec Future-proofs UR Codes to ‘at Least 2035’ with Cryptographic Upgrade
FaceTec has updated its UR Code solution with support for Ed25519, an elliptic curve digital signature algorithm known for its speed, security, and efficiency. UR Codes encode an individual’s biographic and biometric data into a scannable QR code, which can be verified with a face scan. The addition of Ed25519 strengthens cryptographic safeguards by preventing tampering and ensuring that encoded data remains immutable. This public-key encryption method, recognized in the NIST SP 800-186 specification, is used in secure applications such as Signal, Git, and VPNs. FaceTec CTO Josh Rose stated that the update future-proofs UR Code security until at least 2035, with plans to add more asymmetric encryption curves.
Clearview AI Undergoes Leadership Change, Shifts Focus to Federal Contracts
Clearview AI has announced leadership changes as it shifts focus toward U.S. federal government contracts. Co-founder Hoan Ton-That, who transitioned from CEO to president in December 2024, has stepped down from his executive role while retaining a board seat. Board member and early investor Hal Lambert will serve as co-CEO alongside co-founder Richard Schwartz. The company, which generates $16 million in annual recurring revenue and ranks 1820 on the Inc. 5000 list, aims to triple revenue by securing contracts with agencies such as the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security. Despite widespread regulatory scrutiny, the company continues to expand, with law enforcement agencies like the El Cerrito Police Department adopting its technology. Clearview is preparing for a new equity fundraising round.
IDEX Biometrics Secures 10,000-Unit Order for VISA Biometric Cards in MEA Region
IDEX Biometrics has received a production order for 10,000 Visa biometric payment cards from a major smart card technology company in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. This marks the first Visa program in the market to incorporate IDEX Pay biometric technology. The customer, which serves over 500 banks, governments, and corporations, will deploy the cards in a fast-growing payment market. The order follows IDEX’s recent advancements, including Mastercard certification through KONA I and the launch of biometric payment cards in Japan. IDEX CEO Catharina Eklof highlighted the role of industry certifications in driving the commercialization of biometric smart cards. The company has strengthened its position in the MEA region through multiple initiatives, including a $1 million order for enterprise access control solutions.
Malaysia to Implement Facial Recognition for Fishermen’s Fuel Subsidy Program
The Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security plans to implement facial recognition to verify fishermen purchasing subsidized diesel fuel, aiming to prevent fraud in the subsidy program. Fishermen currently buy diesel at RM1.65 per liter, significantly below the market price of RM3.22 per liter, but some have been reselling their quotas for profit. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu stated that biometric verification will ensure only eligible recipients access the subsidy. The program will require all fishermen purchasing subsidized diesel to undergo facial recognition verification, though implementation dates have not yet been announced.
Cardiff Expands Live Facial Recognition for Six Nations Rugby Championships
South Wales Police is expanding its live facial recognition network across Cardiff city centre during the 2025 Six Nations rugby championships, increasing the technology’s presence at major events. Temporary cameras at key pedestrian entry points will create a “zone of safety,” with feeds connecting to mobile facial recognition vans for real-time monitoring. This marks a shift from previous deployments that primarily relied on mobile units. South Wales Police first trialed facial recognition at the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff, refining their approach after legal challenges in 2020. The force states that the system complies with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice and has undergone independent testing confirming no bias based on gender, age, or race. Civil liberties groups, including Big Brother Watch, oppose the expansion, calling it mass surveillance.
Poland Implements Biometric Screening System to Combat Visa Appointment Exploitation
Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will introduce a biometric screening system for Indian visa applicants in 2025 to prevent intermediaries from monopolizing and reselling appointment slots. The system will use biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition, for identity verification during appointment scheduling and visa processing. Initial testing will begin in high-migration countries such as India, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan. The initiative aims to improve transparency in visa issuance, addressing difficulties faced by Indian IT professionals and skilled workers in securing appointments. Polish employers in technology and manufacturing sectors have struggled with slot shortages, often relying on intermediaries. The Consular Department will implement an electronic identity verification system to authenticate applicants online, aligning with broader EU biometric security initiatives. The launch timeline depends on legislative and IT infrastructure progress.
ROC’s Latest Fingerprint Algorithm Achieves Top Speed and Accuracy in NIST Testing
ROC’s latest algorithm, ROC +0014, has ranked first for accuracy and efficiency in the NIST Evaluation of Latent Fingerprint Technologies (ELFT), marking a significant advancement in latent fingerprint matching. The algorithm completed fingerprint matching in 64 seconds, outperforming the top competitor’s time of 43 minutes and the test average of 1 hour and 42 minutes. ROC +0014 also improved accuracy by 30.3 percent over the past year, reducing the False Negative Identification Rate (FNIR) from 0.198 with ROC +0009 to 0.138. Chief Scientist Dr. Brendan Klare highlighted the system’s ability to match a 30 million fingerprint database in under a minute. ROC’s evaluation used the same algorithms available in its SDK, which is offered for free testing.
Defense Health Agency Seeks Biometric Wellness Data Solutions
The Defense Health Agency (DHA), under the Department of Defense, has issued a Sources Sought notice (HT0011-25-RFI-0224) to evaluate biometric data technologies for workforce wellness. The notice seeks vendor input on available biometric solutions, capabilities, and innovative approaches to inform future solicitations. The initiative includes requirements for Cayuse (formerly iMedRIS) licenses and support for the Electronic Institutional Review Board (EIRB) system, covering software maintenance, compliance updates, and cybersecurity standards in line with DoDI 8500.01 and DoDI 8510.01. The selected vendor must also provide user training and documentation. Small businesses can access government contracting guidance through APEX Accelerators. Responses are due by February 24, 2025, at 12:00 PM CST in Falls Church, Virginia.
Moldova Issues Tender Notice for Portable Biometric Data Collection Equipment
The Public Services Agency of Moldova has issued a Prior Information Notice (PIN) for the upcoming procurement of portable biometric data collection equipment. The tender, titled Biometric Data Caption Solutions, aims to enhance the agency’s mobile biometric data acquisition capabilities and align with European Union procurement standards. The estimated contract value is 1,702,800 MDL, excluding VAT, under classification code 30210000 for data-processing machines. The equipment will be delivered to the agency’s headquarters in Chisinau. The procurement process follows EU Directive 2014/24/EU and will be managed by the agency’s Procurement and Contract Management Division.
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February 20, 2025 – by Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala
