Portland’s First Facial Recognition Lawsuit Could Pay Out $10M: 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:

Congress Members Demand Answers About FBI’s Facial Recognition Tech

Three members of Congress have sent a public letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for clarity about the Bureau’s use of facial recognition technology. The letter is primarily concerned with privacy issues, but also asks for information about the accuracy of the FBI’s facial recognition technology in light of studies that have found racial disparities in the performance of facial recognition systems. The letter is signed by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

Portland’s Facial Recognition Ban Produces First Class Action Lawsuit

The first-ever lawsuit stemming from Portland, Oregon’s facial recognition ban has been filed. The Facial Recognition Ordinance took effect on January 1, 2021; shortly thereafter, plaintiffs Brian Norby and Jacqueline May claim, they were subjected to facial recognition surveillance at a convenience store called “Jacksons”. This month, they officially filed a class action suit seeking damages of $1,000 per day for each violation of the Ordinance, with total damages estimated at $10,000,000.

Real Estate Investment Firm Settles BIPA Suit

The Connor Group, an investment firm focused on luxury real estate properties, has agreed to a $237,000 settlement over its use of a fingerprint-scanning time and attendance tracking system it used for employees. The lawsuit alleged that The Connor Group failed to provide the proper disclosures and to obtain consent as required under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. Each class member is expected to receive a payout of roughly $450.

Zighra to Trial Digital Identity Tech With Canadian Navy

Ottawa-based Zighra has been selected to participate in a Digital Identity pilot project with the Department of National Defense. The project will be run through the Royal Canadian Navy, and appears to entail a different approach to digital security than the behavioral biometrics system that Zighra is known for. In a statement, the Zighra CEO Deepak Dutt explained that the project will leverage “sensors and machine learning algorithms to create a sensor identity network that dynamically adapts and learns from human-machine and machine-machine interactions.” The Royal Canadian Navy previously trialed Zighra’s behavioral biometrics technology last year.

OwnID Brings Passkeys to Shopify Plus

OwnID has launched a new plugin enabling passkey support for Shopify Plus stores, further clearing the way for the innovative passwordless authentication solution to proliferate across the internet. The news comes after OwnID launched a WordPress plugin that brought passkey support to sites with WooCommerce stores last month. Read our full story.

Product Launches From IronVest, RecFaces, FPC, and Lenovo

IronVest has officially launched its flagship security app. Available on mobile or as a browser-based app, the IronVest solution is designed to lock passwords and personal data like home address behind biometric authentication. It also generates masked email addresses and virtual phone numbers and credit cards. In a statement, IronVest said that a “patented decentralized, hermetic fraud prevention technology” sits at the core of the solution.

RecFaces has launched a new biometric time and attendance tracking system dubbed “ID-Time”. The solution is based on facial recognition, and can operate through IP video cameras, PCs, or other terminals. The solution’s launch comes after RecFaces’ announcement last month that it had moved its headquarters from Moscow to Dubai.

Fingerprint Cards has launched a new sensor designed primarily for access control applications. The new FPC1523 model is round and smaller in size than other models offered by Fingerprints, the company says. It’s part of a deliberate effort to target opportunities in the access control market as FPC seeks to expand beyond the volatile mobile biometrics market in which it made its name. The company also recently announced that its FPC1025 sensor had been integrated into an access control solution from Nuki.

Lenovo has unveiled a new lineup of its ThinkVision VoIP computer monitors, and the ThinkVision T27hv-30, ThinkVision T24mv-30, and ThinkVision T24v-30 each come equipped with infrared cameras enabling facial recognition via the Windows Hello security platform. The monitors were announced ahead of next month’s Consumer Electronics Show, alongside other new offerings including laptops and webcams.

Alcatraz AI Gets Trio of ISO Certifications

Alcatraz AI has attained certifications for three ISO standards. ISO 27001concerns the security of assets like financial data, employee data, and intellectual property; ISO 27017 offers guidelines for cloud computing security; and ISO 27018 concerns controls aimed at protecting Personally Identifiable Information in a cloud environment. “We built [our] platform with end-to-end encryption, and to rely on facial authentication that is transactional in nature — without ever collecting or sharing PII,” asserted Alcatraz CEO Tina D’Agostin. “By adding these internationally recognized certifications, we prove our ongoing commitment to delivering enterprise-grade security and privacy.”

Not Exactly the Christmas Spirit

Security personnel at Radio City Music Hall refused entry to a lawyer whose firm is involved in cases against venue owner Madison Square Garden Entertainment. Kelly Conlon was identified using facial recognition upon arriving with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop for a “Christmas Spectacular” concert by the Rockettes. “They knew my name before I told them,” she told WNBC. “They knew the firm I was associated with before I told them. And they told me I was not allowed to be there.”

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December 20, 2022 – by Alex Perala