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:
Google to Replace SMS Authentication with QR Codes for Gmail Security
Google is phasing out SMS-based authentication for Gmail in favor of QR code verification. Users will scan a QR code displayed on their screen with their phone’s camera instead of receiving a 6-digit SMS code. The change aligns with Google’s broader shift away from traditional two-factor authentication methods, following the rollout of its Identity Check feature for Android, which introduced enhanced biometric authentication. Google cites growing security concerns, including a 26 percent increase in mobile phishing attacks in 2024, as a key reason for the transition. While Google has not set a specific implementation date, it plans to provide further rollout details soon. The transition will affect millions of Gmail users worldwide, requiring them to adapt to a new verification process.
Illuma Secures New Financing to Expand Voice Authentication Solutions
Illuma has secured new financing from Stifel Bank to support product development and market expansion, following its $9 million Series A round in September 2024 led by LiveOak Ventures. The Plano, Texas-based company specializes in voice authentication technology for community banks and credit unions. Its flagship product, Illuma Shield, replaces knowledge-based authentication with real-time voice verification, allowing callers to enroll simply by saying “yes” during a regular call. The company reports a 95 percent enrollment rate among invited users. Illuma CEO Milind Borkar stated that the funding will help the company scale while reducing operational costs and enhancing security for financial institutions.
Plumery and Smile ID Partner to Enhance Digital Banking Security Across Africa
Plumery has partnered with Smile ID to enhance digital banking security and authentication for financial institutions across Africa. The collaboration integrates Smile ID’s biometric authentication and fraud prevention tools with Plumery’s API-first banking platform, addressing rising fraud risks. The combined solution includes Smile ID’s Enhanced SmartSelfie technology, which features dynamic liveness checks to prevent identity fraud. Banks using the integrated platform can improve security, streamline onboarding, and reduce costs.
WE BUILD Consortium Selected for EU Digital Identity Wallet Large Scale Pilot
The European Commission has selected the WE BUILD consortium to participate in the second round of Large Scale Pilots for the EU Digital Identity Wallet. The consortium consists of 197 organizations developing wallet solutions for business and payment applications. WE BUILD will focus on business-to-business, business-to-government, and business-to-bank interactions, aligning with the EU’s goal of 80 percent digital identity wallet adoption by 2030. The initiative supports eIDAS 2.0, incorporating passwordless authentication, Know Your Customer compliance, and credential verification in collaboration with eIDAS trust service providers.
SwingHub Implements Facial Recognition System to Block Registered Offenders, Reports Early Success
SwingHub has implemented a facial recognition system in partnership with the UK Offenders Database to enhance user safety. The system, which compares user-submitted photos against the database using biometric algorithms, has blocked eight registered offenders from accessing the platform and led to three high-risk cases being referred to law enforcement. SwingHub states that its security protocols balance privacy with platform safety, addressing concerns about oversight in biometric technology applications. The company now aims to extend this system to other platforms, including social media and dating apps, to strengthen user protection measures.
Mastercard and Feedzai Partner to Combat AI-Driven Fraud with Enhanced Biometric Security
Mastercard has partnered with Feedzai to expand its Consumer Fraud Risk solution globally, enhancing financial institutions’ ability to detect AI-driven fraud in real time. The integration combines Feedzai’s fraud detection platform with Mastercard’s existing solution, which has helped reduce authorized push payment scam values by over 12 percent in the UK. Feedzai’s system monitors transactions by analyzing card purchases, real-time transfers, device intelligence, network data, and behavioral biometrics to identify suspicious activity. This expansion builds on Feedzai’s acquisition of behavioral biometrics firm Revelock in 2021. The company aims to bring its fraud prevention technology to more markets, reflecting the increasing reliance on behavioral biometrics in financial services.
Guyana Opposition Threatens Protests Over Biometric Voter Registration Push
Guyana’s People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is calling for biometric voter registration and verification ahead of the 2025 general elections, citing concerns over voter list integrity. The party is considering mass protests to push for the adoption of digital fingerprint technology at polling stations. The voter registry includes nearly as many names as the country’s total population, leading to allegations of potential fraud, though no documentary evidence has been presented. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) acknowledges its authority to introduce biometric voting but has ruled out implementation for 2025 due to logistical constraints. The ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic and GECOM officials argue that existing safeguards prevent fraud. Current PNCR-led demonstrations outside GECOM headquarters have seen limited turnout.
Cameroon Launches Advanced Biometric National ID System with 48-Hour Issuance Promise
Cameroon has introduced a new biometric and digital national identity card system in partnership with German company Augentic. The updated ID cards include an electronic chip, a Machine Readable Zone, and a unique QR code while capturing ten fingerprints for identity verification. Cameroon is the first African country to adopt the ID-1 portrait format, which complies with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The system rollout began with online pre-enrollment, followed by biometric data collection at identification posts. The government has promised a 48-hour processing time for the new IDs at a cost of 10,000 FCFA.
Suffolk Police Emphasize Transparency in Ipswich Town Centre FRT Trial
Suffolk Police, in collaboration with Essex Police, conducted a facial recognition trial in Ipswich town centre using equipment borrowed from South Wales Police. The system compared passersby against a watch-list of 300 individuals linked to ongoing investigations, marking potential matches for officers while ensuring images of non-matches were not stored or added to the National Police Computer. The trial, which processed nearly 3,000 people in the first hour, emphasized transparency with public information posters and engagement efforts, leading to around 80 conversations between officers and residents. The initiative follows recent recommendations from the Biometrics Institute on public engagement and aligns with broader efforts by UK police forces to implement facial recognition while maintaining public trust.
West Virginia Mobile ID Now Available in Samsung Wallet Through IDEMIA Partnership
IDEMIA Public Security North America has announced that West Virginia residents can now store mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs in Samsung Wallet on Samsung Galaxy devices. The expansion builds on the state’s mobile ID program launched in December 2024. Residents can verify their identity by tapping their phone near a mobile ID reader or scanning a QR code, a feature approved for TSA checkpoints at participating U.S. airports. IDEMIA CEO Rob Gardner emphasized that security remains a priority, ensuring user consent for data access and sharing. The West Virginia program joins IDEMIA’s mobile ID deployments in Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, and New York. The expansion follows field testing completed in September 2024, which included pilots with law enforcement using mobile ID scanning.
TECH5’s New T5-AirKey Turns Biometric Data Into Cryptographic Keys
TECH5 has introduced T5-AirKey, a Biometric Derived Keys technology that generates unique, random, and irreversible temporary keys from fresh biometric captures. The system eliminates stored biometric templates, reducing vulnerabilities such as man-in-the-middle attacks and database breaches. T5-AirKey supports facial and fingerprint biometrics for secure authentication, data encryption, and digital signing while enhancing Identity and Access Management solutions and Verifiable Credentials. The technology complies with ISO 30136 guidelines for biometric template protection, ensuring revocability, non-reversibility, and protected matching.
Biometrics Institute Explores Multimodal Solutions for Deepfake Defense in Latest Industry Discussion
The Biometrics Institute hosted an “On the Pulse Conversation” discussing how multimodal biometrics can combat digital threats, particularly deepfakes. The session incorporated findings from the Institute’s Annual Industry Survey and recent research on facial recognition in policing. CEO Isabelle Moeller emphasized the importance of policy before process before technology, stating that biometric risks stem from human factors rather than the technology itself. Experts highlighted the need for strong policies and user training to ensure ethical biometric deployment. Companies showcased solutions addressing security challenges, including FacePhi’s multi-biometric systems, Corsound AI’s voice intelligence for deepfake detection, and Trust Stamp’s privacy-preserving multimodal biometric fusion.
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February 24, 2025 – by Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala
