On His Majesty’s Secret Service: 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:

UK Police to Deploy Facial Recognition at King’s Coronation

London’s Metropolitan Police will deploy facial recognition technology as part of their security measures for the Coronation of King Charles III this weekend, explaining that it will be used to scan the crowd against a watchlist of individuals who might “raise public protection concerns”. The Met uses NEC’s NeoFace technology, which was assessed by the National Physical Laboratory at the police agency’s request, and found to have no statistically significant demographic bias when used at its default settings.

Google Enables Passkey Login

Google has now enabled support for passkeys, allowing users to log into their Google Account with a PIN or biometric scan on their smartphone. It’s the latest sign of mainstreaming for the passkey solution, which was spearheaded by Apple but involved the collaboration of other tech giants including Google and Microsoft, as well as the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. Essentially, the passkey concept entails storing complex passcodes for various user accounts on a single device, and locking them behind its PIN, fingerprint sensor, or face scanning system.

Dashlane Goes Its Own Way for Passwordless Login

The password manager Dashlane, meanwhile, is working on a “Passwordless Login” solution of its own. Like the passkey, Dashlane’s solution uses cryptographic keys and requires a user to enter a PIN on their mobile device or use its biometric authentication mechanism in order to access their password vault. It also supports the use of a QR code scan for access when using a different device. It is a distinct passwordless login solution from the passkey, and is expected to launch in the “coming months”.

Acuity’s Maxine Most Among SIA Women in Biometrics Award Winners

The Security Industry Association has named the five recipients of its 2023 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards, with Acuity Market Intelligence’s Principal Analyst Maxine Most among the honorees. In announcing the recipients, the SIA described Most as a “strategic innovator, market visionary, and forecasting guru”, adding that Acuity Market Intelligence – which was founded by Most – is “recognized as the definitive authority on global biometrics market development.” She is also notably FindBiometrics’ key research partner, assisting the industry’s leading media brand in the development of high-level research projects including the annual FindBiometrics Year in Review.

Paravision COO Joins Government AI Subcommittee

Paravision COO Benji Hutchinson has been appointed to the Law Enforcement subcommittee of the US Department of Commerce’s National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee. Established in response to the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, the NAIAC announced its first roster of 27 expert appointees last year; it included executives from major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and IBM, as well as academics from schools including Stanford and Carnegie Mellon. In a LinkedIn post announcing his own appointment, Hutchinson thanked the Security Industry Association for its assistance in the nomination process, and expressed enthusiasm about helping to ensure that America “continues to dominate” the artificial intelligence space.

BioIntelliSense Teams With Smart Training Specialist

BioIntelliSense has entered into a strategic partnership with Amplifire, the provider of a professional training platform that leverages cognitive science to enhance learning. BioIntelliSense is known for its FDA-cleared biometric patient monitoring wearable, the BioButton; it also acquired a patient monitoring platform called AlertWatch toward the end of last year. In a statement, the companies said they would combine their technologies to deliver “an integrated solution to help healthcare professionals perform at their highest potential.”

Q1 Earnings From Aware, Inc.

Aware, Inc. has delivered an update for the first quarter of 2023, reporting a six percent increase in total revenues (at $4.3 million) over Q4 of 2022 and a 17 percent jump in recurring revenues (at $3.1 million) quarter-over-quarter. While revenues for the latest quarter are down from the $4.7 million seen in Q1 of 2022, the figures point to success in Aware’s efforts to expand its base of recurring revenues “through multi-threaded deep partnerships”, as CEO Robert Eckel explained. Aware’s net loss for Q1 of 2023 amounted to $1.6 million, compared to a net loss of $1.8 million in Q4 of 2022 and a net loss of $1.3 million a year ago.

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May 3, 2023 – by Alex Perala