Privacy Laws, BIPA, and Big Delay: 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:

EU Delays Biometric Border Deadline

European Union authorities have once again delayed the implementation of the bloc’s biometric Entry/Exit System. Records from an EU-LISA meeting last week indicate that the project managers concluded that the system’s originally planned implementation date of May 2023 is “no longer achievable” due to contractor delays. A new, official deadline does not yet appear to have been set, though a meeting summer noted that border checkpoints “should be fully equipped for the use of the Entry/Exit System by the end of the year.”

US States Mull New Privacy Laws

At least seven US states are considering legislation aimed at protecting the privacy of specific kinds of personal data, including bills that would protect biometric data. The states in question are New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, and Mississippi, and are part of a broader national trend as a cluster of states mull broad legislative measures designed to protect consumer data.

Proposed Bill Seeks BIPA Exemption for Hospitals

Proposed legislation in Illinois’s House of Representatives is aimed at carving out an exemption for healthcare providers from the state’s wide-ranging Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Bill HB 1230 appears to be narrowly aimed at the kind of BIPA lawsuit that is based on alleged failures to acquire employees’ explicit, written consent for the collection of biometric data: it would exempt any health care employer from BIPA so long as the employer hired a worker under the Health Care Worker Background Check Act, does not sell or trade the worker’s biometric data, and has a data use and retention policy in place.

Malaysia Deploys e-Gates for Singaporean Visitors

Singaporeans visiting neighboring Malaysia can now take advantage of e-gates designed to streamline the border control process, now in place at the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints. Singaporeans will be required to hold biometric passports, and to undergo a biometric identity check at the facilities immigration counters, reports The Bharat Express.

Minnesota Police Seek Help From Sole County With Facial Recognition

Police from around Minnesota have been turning to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office to get help with investigations, as it’s the only law enforcement agency in the state that possesses facial recognition technology, reports CBS News. The HCSO appears to be happy to help, but its analysts are careful to caution their counterparts from other police agencies that their facial recognition matches can only be used as leads for further investigation, and not necessarily for arrests.

FIDO to Host Digital Identity Policy Forum

The FIDO Alliance will host a “policy forum” on January 25th to assess digital identity security from a government policy perspective. Dubbed, “Identity, Authentication, and the Road Ahead”, the online forum has been organized in partnership with the Better Identity Coalition and the ID Theft Resource Center (ITRC), and will feature leaders from both the government sector and the identity industry. Registration for the full day event is open.

Muslim Dating App Leverages Yoti Tech

Muzz, an online dating app aimed at a Muslim audience, is now using liveness detection technology from Yoti to fight catfishing on its platform. In a blog post announcing the partnership, Yoti emphasized that its MyFace solution is only being used to confirm that the end user is present when taking a selfie photo, ensuring that the user isn’t trying to appropriate a digital or printed image acquired elsewhere. But Muzz founder and CEO Shahzad Younas indicated that his platform is using both “Yoti’s ID verification and MyFace technology” to give users “peace of mind that their matches are who they say they are,” suggesting that a further identity check system is also in place.

North Carolina DMV Pursues Mobile Driver License

North Carolina’s Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, is orchestrating a push to get the state’s legislature to authorize the development of a mobile driver’s license system. Speaking to WCNC Charlotte, the Commissioner called the MDL concept a secure way for citizens to hold and selectively share personal data, adding that it is “even more secure than your hard copy because it depends upon facial recognition”. Commissioner Goodwin is hoping to see MDL legislation passed this session.

Mobile Student ID Comes to Penn State

Penn State has become the latest institution of higher education to embrace mobile ID for students. The virtual student ID option, now available through the Penn State Go app, enables students to use their Apple or Android phone, or an Apple Watch, to access campus facilities via NFC scan, and to pay for meals and laundry services. “The University is one step closer to a seamless student experience,” said the school’s Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary and Business Services, David Snyder.

Samsung Brings Wallet to More Countries

Samsung is bringing its Samsung Wallet solution to a number of new markets. The company consolidated its Pass, Pay, and Wallet apps into a single solution last year, seeking to deliver an app that can house virtual payment cards, keys, and IDs, and it’s now available in the US, the UK, and several countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Starting at the end of this month, it will begin rolling out to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

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January 20, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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