IDEMIA’s Big Contract Wins, Harry Styles’ Biometric Security, and More – Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

IDEMIA Wins Biometric Tech Contracts in India, Lithuania

IDEMIA has been selected as GMR Group’s technology partner in India’s “DigiYatra” project for airport transformation, ensuring the French IT giant’s biometric technology will have a prominent role in customer processing. Coordinated by the country’s Aviation Ministry, DigiYatra revolves around the use of facial recognition to establish a digital ID for travelers, enabling low-friction airport screening. IDEMIA says it has been working with the public-private consortium Delhi International Airport Limited (“DIAL”) on a Proof of Concept for the past year-and-a-half; now, thanks to its new contract with the domestic firm GMR Group, its facial recognition technology will be used not only in Delhi, but in airports in Goa and Hyderabad.

IDEMIA has also revealed that Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (SBGS) has awarded the company with an “addendum contract” following last year’s agreement to have IDEMIA provide the border control equipment for the European Union’s planned Entry/Exit System (“EES”). Noting that it has already delivered “all necessary equipment” for manual border control stations, including fingerprint and face scanners, IDEMIA has announced that the addendum contract requests additional ten-fingerprint scanners, face capture devices, passport readers, tablets, and suitcases.

Ghana Plans e-Passport Switch

Government authorities in Ghana are planning a switch to chip-embedded e-passports, according to the country’s Director of Passport, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Idris. Speaking to a domestic outlet this week, Idris said the passport upgrade project is being organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and will be carried out through a Public-Private Partnership. He said that authorities expect the new passport to be launched by the end of the year.

EUID’s Technical Specification to Arrive This Month

The technical specification for the European Union’s digital ID system will become available by the end of the month, according to a senior official. During a digital wallet session at Digital Assembly 2023, Robert Viola, the Director General of the European Commission’s Digital Economy Directorate, offered some information about the forthcoming European Digital Identity (EUID) wallet, including the expected timeline for the publication of its technical specification. He characterized the specification as one that is “very flexible” and that takes “a user-based approach”. Read the full story on Mobile ID World.

Police Secure Harry Styles Concert With Live Facial Recognition

South Wales Police are once again deploying biometric surveillance to secure major music concerts — this time a pair of Harry Styles concerts, today and tomorrow. The police force has given notice of its deployment of Live Facial Recognition at Cardiff City Centre, following a recent deployment in support of a Beyoncé show. South Wales Police recently resumed its use of LFR technology after a National Physical Laboratory examination determined that its system showed no statistically significant demographic bias when used at the default settings.

Access Control Startup Closes $2.6M Seed Round, Opens NY Office

Belgian startup NineID has closed a $2.6 million seed funding round, having successfully generated excitement about an enterprise access control platform that supports the use of QR codes and facial recognition. The startup had raised $1.4 million in 2022, and has now following that up with an additional $1.2 million, from investors including Pitchdrive and Comate Ventures. NineID says it already has major clients, including World Forum The Hague and the port group PSA. The company recently opened a new office in New York.

Neurotechnology Celebrates Strong IREX Showing

Neurotechnology’s iris recognition algorithm has attained the top spot in the “Rank1” category of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s IREX 10 evaluation program. The Rank1 test evaluates the effectiveness of algorithms in identifying the correct individual from a list of the top-ranked biometric matches. Neurotechnology says its algorithm demonstrated a 99.14 percent accuracy rate for single-eye matching and an accuracy of 99.73 percent for two-eye assessments.

Journey.ai Pivots to Bank Cybersecurity

Journey.ai has established a strategic partnership with Tradition Capital Bank, a community bank based in Edina, Minnesota. The bank will use Journey’s “Zero Knowledge Network” solution for biometric customer authentication. Since its debut in 2020, Journey has made multiple acquisitions, primarily to position itself as a “design and innovation consultancy“. Its branch into cybersecurity is a new pivot. In a statement announcing Tradition Capital Bank’s new partnership, the company said that by “investing in Journey, they are not only driving up the value of their investment through Journey’s expansion in their market but also creating a direct line to help influence cutting-edge technology development that addresses their current and future needs.”

Electric Vehicle Maker Extends Use of Biometric Driver Recognition

California-based electric vehicle maker Mullen has extended its AI assistant platform, which features a facial recognition capability, across its entire fleet of commercial and consumer vehicles. The company first unveiled the “Persona” platform with last year’s Mullen Five EV Crossover, noting that its facial recognition can immediately identify the car’s driver to unlock doors and automatically adjust its personalized settings. In announcing its expansion, Mullen explained that Persona’s facial recognition feature would be particularly handy in last-mile package delivery vans, whose drivers frequently need to exit and re-enter the vehicle; and in its Bollinger B1 SUV, which is meant for use “off-grid” and can use Persona to secure the driver’s valuables during a hiking or swimming excursion.

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June 20, 2023 – by Alex Perala