Sales Up, Expenses Down, Disclosures Sideways – 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:

DC Law Firm Adds Biometrics Expertise

The renowned law firm Baker Donelson has added a biometrics expert to its Washington, D.C., office. David J. Oberly is the author of Biometric Data Privacy Compliance & Best Practices, and “has established himself as one of the country’s foremost authorities on biometric privacy,” explained Alisa Chestler, the chair of Baker Donelson’s Data Protection, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Team. Beyond offering legal advice to a wide-ranging client base, Baker Donelson is known for its government lobbying and advisory services, with a team of professionals that includes former government officials.

Australian Government Embraces Passkeys for e-Services

The Australian government has embraced passkeys, announcing they will be supported for access to online services starting next year. Australians will have the option of opting out of password-based login for the MyGov service and instead authenticating with a biometric scan or PIN entry on their smartphone. The change is being framed as a security measure that will help to curb rampant fraud, with authorities asserting that over 6,000 myGov scams had been detected so far this year, a tenfold increase over 2022.

DHS ‘Discloses’ CBP’s Facial Recognition for Travelers

The Department of Homeland Security has officially disclosed its use of facial recognition technology to identify travelers, years after it started using the tech. Thanks to an executive order issued under the Trump administration, federal agencies (with some exceptions) are required to post their use of AI in an annual inventory. US Customs and Border Protection, a DHS agency, has been using AI-driven facial recognition for years, but the use case has only just been added to the DHS’s inventory. Responding to an inquiry from FedScoop, the DHS explained that some of its AI Use Cases are essentially classified until they are deemed “safe to share externally.”

Positive Trends in Q3 Updates from IDEX, authID

IDEX Biometrics has issued its Q3 update, marking a slight uptick in revenues and a decrease in operating expenses. Sales went from about $928k in Q3 of 2022 to $950k in the latest quarter, while operating expenses dropped from a little over $9 million to about $7.7 million over the same period. Its net result was a loss of about $7 million, compared to a loss of about $9 million a year ago. In a statement, the company emphasized the more manufacturing partners were “quickly mobilizing” to bring its biometric payment card platform, IDEX Pay, to market.

Similar trends can be seen in authID’s Q3 results. The company had already disclosed a 300 percent increase in sales, quarter-over-quarter, as well as “Booked Annual Recurring Revenue” amounting to over $1 million. It is now reporting operating expenses of $3.8 million, a considerable drop from operating expenses of $5.7 million in 2022. And its net result has improved from a loss of $6.2 million a year ago, to a loss of $3.7 million in the latest quarter. Commenting on the results, CEO Rhon Daguro emphasized the progress that has resulted from the company’s “leadership refresh” in May of this year.

Suprema Previews BioStation Sequel at Partner Event

Suprema offered partners a sneak preview of its forthcoming facial recognition product, which it bills as a sequel to its BioStation 3 terminal, at its “Suprema Global Partner Program 2023” event in Indonesia. The company has been working to integrate AI algorithms based on Neural Processing Unit technology into both its facial and fingerprint recognition solutions. Suprema says partners from more than 50 countries around the world are in attendance at its three-day conference, which concludes on November 10.

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November 9, 2023 – by Alex Perala