Identity News Digest – June 19, 2024

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

Signicat Adds 3D Face-scanning to MobileID System

Signicat is enhancing its flagship MobileID solution with a new “Face Authentication” feature that includes 3D Liveness Check and 3D Face Matching capabilities. The upgrade aims to improve security against sophisticated fraud tactics, such as deepfakes, which now account for 6.5 percent of all fraud attempts. The MobileID system, which already supports Touch ID and Face ID on iOS and fingerprint authentication on Android, will now offer stronger protection against presentation attacks. The new feature is PSD2 compliant and can be used for high-value transaction authorization, account recovery, and resetting second authentication factors. It will be available through the MobileID app starting in mid-July.

U.S. Bank Pilots Voice Biometrics as Password Replacement

U.S. Bank is testing voice biometrics as a secure alternative to traditional passwords, joining financial giants like Wells Fargo and Barclays in exploring this technology. In partnership with Nuance Communications, U.S. Bank launched a pilot program in April, allowing employees to log into banking applications using a passphrase such as “my voice is my password.” The method is being tested for tasks like checking account balances, searching transactions, and making payments on mobile devices. Participants initially log in with their user ID and password, then enroll their voice by providing three samples. After enrollment, users can log in by speaking their passphrase, with traditional login methods available as a fallback.

IDVerse Brings GenAI-Powered Identity Verification to AWS Marketplace

IDVerse has introduced its generative AI-trained identity verification technology on the AWS Marketplace. The solution offers automated document verification, liveness detection, and face-matching capabilities, leveraging AWS services like Lambda, AWS DynamoDB, SQS, and EventBridge to provide a scalable, secure, and flexible global identity verification service. Supporting over 220 countries and regions, it can handle nearly any issued ID document in 142 languages. The development follows IDVerse’s recent addition of its identity assurance technology to the Temenos Exchange, expanding its accessibility to global banks using Temenos’ platform.

Bill Mandating TSA Report on Digital IDs Advances to House

Bipartisan legislation requiring the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to study the impact of digital identification systems has advanced to the House floor after clearing a key committee. Introduced by Representatives Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Bill Foster (D-Ill.), the bill mandates a comprehensive report from the TSA on the benefits and risks of digital IDs for U.S. homeland security. Currently, nine states offer mobile driver’s licenses compatible with TSA’s Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units, accepted at 27 U.S. airports. The report, due within 180 days of the bill’s passage, will evaluate the current digital identity ecosystem, its value for homeland security, and how these technologies can enhance security while respecting privacy.

Meta Prevails in BIPA Lawsuit Over Face Tagging

Meta has won an appeal against claims that it violated Illinois state law by analyzing the faces of individuals without profiles on its platform. The Ninth Circuit panel upheld the Illinois federal court’s decision, granting summary judgment in favor of Meta. The case, led by Clayton Zellmer, argued that Meta’s actions breached Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). However, the appellate court found that Zellmer failed to demonstrate concrete and particularized harm from the alleged violations. The court ruled that face signatures do not qualify as biometric identifiers under Illinois law, referencing legal precedent. The dismissal of Zellmer’s suit was affirmed due to lack of standing, although the appellate court differed from the lower court on the reasoning. The claim that Facebook did not provide a retention schedule or guidelines for destroying face data was also dismissed.

Kenya Commits $53M to Digital ID and Related Projects

Kenya’s government has allocated 15.13 billion Shillings (approximately $117 million) for the 2024/2025 fiscal year to support the rollout of the Maisha Namba Digital ID project and other digital government initiatives. The budget, detailed by Kenya’s Ministry of Interior, focuses on enhancing the digitization of citizen services to improve accessibility and reduce wait times. Specifically, 6.88 billion Shillings (about $53.3 million) will fund the issuance of 7.5 million digital and third-generation ID cards, 1.5 million biometric passports, 6.3 million birth certificates, and 2.3 million biometric visas. An additional 7.03 billion Shillings (around $54.4 million) is earmarked for migration and citizen services, with 1.22 billion Shillings (approximately $9.4 million) allocated for general administration and planning.

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June 19, 2024 — by Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala