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:
India Waives Aadhaar Biometric Update Fees for Children Aged 5–17 Through September 2026
India’s Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) will remove all Aadhaar biometric update fees for children aged 5 to 17 from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The policy covers fingerprint, iris, and photo updates and applies to both mandatory biometric updates at ages five to seven and 15 to 17. The change forms part of UIDAI’s new fee cycle and supports school-based Aadhaar drives to keep records accurate as children’s biometrics mature.
Amani Adds Biometric Step-Up for High-Risk Transactions to Counter Deepfake and Account Takeover Threats
Amani has launched a new biometric verification layer that organizations can activate during high-risk events like large transfers or password resets. The feature combines face matching, multi-modal liveness, and document or device checks within Amani’s single-API orchestration stack. Designed to address deepfake and account-takeover risks, the system adds conditional biometric proofing that aligns with AML compliance standards while maintaining low-friction user flows.
Hong Kong Plans 60,000 AI-Ready CCTV Cameras by 2028
Hong Kong is preparing to expand its citywide CCTV network from about 4,000 cameras to 60,000 by 2028 under the police SmartView program. The upgrade will introduce AI analytics for license-plate reading, crowd monitoring, and potentially facial recognition, subject to privacy impact assessments required under Hong Kong’s Personal Data Ordinance. The rollout follows earlier plans to activate facial recognition in 3,000 cameras by 2025, scaling that pilot citywide.
Channel 4’s Hunted Opens New Season With Facial-Recognition Airport Twist
Channel 4’s tenth-anniversary season of Hunted begins with a Stansted Airport sequence that uses facial-recognition cameras to trace contestants’ first moves. The new format highlights how surveillance and biometric analytics have entered mainstream storytelling, mirroring real-world deployments in transport and event settings. The show premieres October 12 with 14 civilian contestants competing for a £100,000 prize.
Identity Week Interview: FaceTec’s Jay Meier Says Enterprises Already Have Their QR Identity Roadmaps
In an Identity Week interview, FaceTec Chief Identity Strategist Jay Meier says large enterprises already have concrete plans for QR-based identity flows that combine on-device biometrics and liveness for phishing-resistant authentication. The discussion explores how QR payloads can launch verified face scans tied to cryptographic proofs, bridging physical and digital identity journeys across web, kiosk, and app environments.
UK Confirms Digital ID Will Not Be Smartphone-Only
The UK government has clarified that its planned digital ID system will include non-smartphone and assisted options for right-to-work checks, addressing accessibility and inclusion concerns. The government explainer confirms users will not need a mobile device to comply, and that multiple enrollment and recovery channels will be supported under the upcoming rollout.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team