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:
Australia Expands Biometric Collection to Visa Applicants in India
The Australian High Commission in New Delhi has announced that visa applicants in India may now be required to submit facial images and a 10-digit fingerprint scan under an ongoing expansion of Australia’s biometric collection requirements across nearly 60 nations. Enacted for new applications lodged from October 26, 2026, under the Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994, the identity assurance framework tasks the Department of Home Affairs with directing applicants either to mobile verification via the Australian Immi App or to in-person appointments across 16 commercial Australian Biometrics Collection Centres operated by VFS Global. Collected biometric records will be cross-referenced against Australian and international law enforcement databases to curb identity fraud and secure national borders, with authorities maintaining that processing timelines will remain unaffected for applicants who complete their screening promptly.
Italy Sets Rules for Private Companies to Join IT-Wallet Testing
Italy’s digital agency AgID has published Version 1.0 operational regulations establishing the compliance procedures private enterprises and public entities must satisfy to access experimentation sandbox testing for the IT-Wallet system, effectively expanding the national digital wallet architecture beyond the state-operated IO app. Implementing a June 2026 prime ministerial decree, the framework establishes onboarding guidelines for private wallet developers, attribute verifiers, data source aggregators, and authentic registries, requiring certified electronic applications alongside stringent technical certifications and insurance covenants. While PagoPA remains the exclusive operator of the public wallet interface and IPZS administers technical infrastructure, Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante, has backed the decree with strict technical stipulations governing GDPR accountability, special-category data processing, and user deletion rights.
Vietnam Tables Draft Electronic Identification Law Banning Fake Biometrics
Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security, Lương Tam Quang, has introduced a comprehensive draft Law on Electronic Identification and Authentication before the National Assembly to criminalize the use of fake biometric data and artificially generated images in creating fraudulent digital identities. Comprising 46 articles, the legislative proposal expands state electronic identity issuance well beyond physical persons to cover commercial products, corporate bodies, digital databases, multimedia assets, transactions, and physical spaces managed via the VNeID application and a centralized National Database. While designed to eliminate anonymous SIM cards, curb cybercrime, and formalize legal pathways for cross-border electronic identity recognition, the draft faces parliamentary scrutiny from the Committee on National Defence, Security and External Affairs regarding personal privacy safeguards and the feasibility of authenticating non-human entities.
Thailand to Require Advertiser ID Checks on Social Media From November 1
Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Commission will enforce mandatory electronic know-your-customer regulations requiring social media platforms to verify advertiser identities before publishing paid digital advertisements beginning November 1, 2026. Enacted under an anti-cybercrime notification issued by Commission chair Vilawan Mangklatanakul, the rules compel online networks operating in Thailand to validate domestic and foreign advertisers through government ID document matching, facial biometrics, or certified digital ID systems, while retaining audit trails of customer data and third-party payer records for at least 90 days. While the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society confirmed Meta and LINE are preparing compliance frameworks under the “No ID, No Ads” initiative, parliamentary digital committees have instructed law enforcement agencies to pursue statutory sanctions against platforms such as TikTok and Google that failed to confirm deployment readiness.
Moldova Pilots EVO Digital ID for Voter Identification at Polling Stations
The Central Electoral Commission of Moldova and the Electronic Governance Agency have authorized a pilot deployment allowing voters to present digital identity credentials via the EVO government app for polling-station identification during regional elections on November 1 and November 15. The system allows registered citizens in participating municipalities and the autonomous region of Gagauzia to scan a desk-mounted QR code, review data disclosures, and securely transmit identity attributes to electoral workers to confirm voter eligibility before receiving standard paper ballots. Building upon Law No. 321 which establishes legal equivalence between physical documents and digital records in EVO 2.0, electoral authorities will evaluate the pilot’s operational integrity to determine whether mobile digital ID presentation should be scaled nationwide across future general elections.
Gunma Bank Adds Cardless Face-Authenticated Transactions at Seven Bank ATMs
Japanese regional lender Gunma Bank has integrated Seven Bank’s biometric infrastructure to deploy Gungin FACE CASH, enabling retail customers to conduct cardless ATM transactions using facial authentication across nationwide terminal networks and FamilyMart convenience stores. Built upon Seven Bank’s +Connect identity authentication framework, the system lets registered ordinary deposit account holders complete cash deposits, withdrawals, and balance inquiries by matching their live facial biometric against registered credentials, verified via the e-NINSHO verification engine alongside a dedicated facial passcode and cash card PIN. The deployment expands multi-factor biometric banking across Seven Bank’s estate of approximately 28,000 terminals, eliminating physical card skimming risks and preventing unauthorized account access without requiring physical card reissuance.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team