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:
Texas Enacts AI and Biometric Governance Law, Clarifies Use Cases and Limits Liability
Texas has enacted the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), effective January 1, 2026, imposing new AI and biometric rules primarily on government entities. The law prohibits exploitative or discriminatory AI use and bans social-scoring systems in public agencies. It updates Texas’s biometric law to require informed consent for commercial biometric capture, with exceptions for security and non-identifying AI training. Enforcement lies solely with the state Attorney General, with penalties up to $200,000 per violation. A regulatory sandbox will allow limited AI pilots, and safe-harbor provisions apply to entities following risk-management frameworks like NIST’s AI RMF.
Suprema Expands ACU Portfolio With New 2-Door Access Controller and Door Interface Module
Suprema has expanded its access control lineup with the launch of the CoreStation 20 (CS-20), a compact RFID-only controller supporting up to 500,000 users, and the DI-24 Door Interface module, which manages two doors and four readers. Both devices feature PoE+ support and encrypted communication, with the DI-24 capable of offline operation. The modular additions target both large-scale and small-site deployments, offering streamlined installation and improved infrastructure resilience.
Nepal Issues e-Passport Contract Letters to Veridos and Mühlbauer Amid IDEMIA Challenge
Nepal’s Department of Passports has issued Letters of Intent to Veridos and Mühlbauer for a five-year biometric passport upgrade, totaling over USD 52 million. Veridos will handle passport supply and personalization, while Mühlbauer will deploy a nationwide biometric enrollment system. The contracts remain pending as IDEMIA challenges the awards over alleged currency conversion errors. The outcome hinges on a ruling by Nepal’s Public Procurement Review Committee.
Japan Launches My Number Card Integration With Apple Wallet, a First Outside the U.S.
Japan has become the first country outside the U.S. to support Apple Wallet digital IDs, enabling residents to store and use their My Number cards on iPhones running iOS 18.5 or later. The feature allows access to government services, document printing, and identity verification without a physical card. Setup requires biometric authentication and consent, and only one ID can be stored per device. Future updates will add functionality for health insurance and card-free record reading.
Pakistan to Install Biometric E-Gates at Three Major Airports in First Phase of Smart Border Project
Pakistan Airports Authority will install around 100 biometric e-gates at Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore airports over a 24-month period, following completion of the project’s design phase. Developed with M2P Consulting, the e-gates will integrate with the Federal Investigation Agency’s systems to streamline immigration checks and support Pakistan’s 2025 Digital Nation agenda. An international tender for procurement is being prepared.
New Website Uses Facial Recognition to Identify LAPD Officers Using Publicly Available Data
Technologist Kyle McDonald has launched a website enabling users to identify LAPD officers by matching photos against a database of over 9,000 official headshots using on-device facial recognition. The tool, developed in response to officers allegedly obscuring identities during protests, reveals names, badge numbers, and salary data, linking to misconduct records when available. Images are not stored, and processing remains local. The site underscores growing public use of biometric tech for transparency amid ongoing law enforcement reliance on facial recognition and limited federal regulation.
Retailer Iceland Trials Facial Recognition at Two UK Stores to Address Surge in Retail Crime
UK supermarket Iceland is piloting Facewatch facial recognition at stores in Bradford and Salford to identify repeat offenders and reduce retail crime. The system scans customer faces on entry, comparing them to a watch-list, with unmatched images deleted immediately. Biometric data of flagged individuals can be retained for up to 24 months. Iceland claims GDPR compliance and has posted signage, but privacy advocates have raised legal and ethical concerns.
Anil Jain Wins BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award for Breakthroughs in Biometrics and AI
Michigan State University professor Anil Jain has received the 2025 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communication Technologies for his foundational work in biometric recognition and pattern analysis. Jain, who shares the €400,000 prize with Berkeley’s Michael I. Jordan, has advanced systems used in security, humanitarian efforts, and defense – including FarSight, a drone-based biometric tool under IARPA’s BRIAR program. His contributions span fingerprint, facial, and gait recognition, as well as anti-spoofing and infant ID initiatives.
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By Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala
