Snapchat Wants to Use Biometrics to Predict Your Emojis – 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:

GSA Opts for Facial Recognition in Login.gov

The General Services Administration (GSA) has decided to add a facial recognition option to Login.gov, its single sign-on system for government e-services, saying it would begin rolling out the feature sometime next year. The GSA will also implement a live video chat option for identity verification. The move comes after a scathing report from the agency’s Inspector General earlier this year that found the GSA had falsely claimed its digital identity proofing system adhered to NIST’s Identity Assurance Level 2, with a GSA official later explaining to Congress that its “key failing” was a lack of biometric technology. The agency says that it will use “best-in-class facial matching algorithms” when the feature is introduced to Login.gov.

Presight, TOTM Launch Joint Venture

At this week’s Gitex 2023 event in Dubai, the heads of Presight AI and TOTM Technologies signed an agreement to form a joint venture. Based in the UAE, Presight bills itself as a “Big Data Analytics and AI company”, while Singapore’s TOTM specializes in identity management and biometrics. The companies haven’t yet revealed detailed plans for the joint venture. Presight CEO Thomas Pramotedham said it will “develop, integrate and deploy biometric AI solutions in the public safety, healthcare and fintech sectors in the Middle East, Africa and South-East Asia regions,” while TOTM CEO Said Pierre Prunier framed it as part of his firm’s effort to make it “easy for countries to make the transition to digital-first national ID systems through the adoption of the Public-Private-Partnership model.”

UAE Automates Border Control at Saudi Road Crossing

Border authorities in the United Arab Emirates have launched an automated screening system for vehicles at the Al Ghuwaifat road crossing with Saudi Arabia. Interested UAE residents who register will encounter two barriers at the border. The first will rise once their license plate has been successfully scanned, and the second will rise once the driver has scanned their passport or Emirates ID, and undergone a face scan. The Smart Land Borders Crossing system currently supports vehicles with up to two occupants, though the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP) says it’s working to increase that number.

Jackson, MS Cops Begin Deploying Face-Scanning Cameras

The Jackson Police Department in Mississippi is planning to deploy 25 security cameras in public places, with six already in place. At least some of the cameras are equipped with license plate reading and facial recognition technology, but FPD Chief Joseph Wade is framing them mainly as a deterrent to crime. “When we put these cameras up, you can see the loitering, the vagrants, the amount of individuals that would normally be just hanging around possibly doing drug sales, stuff of that nature, it stops,” he told a local outlet.

Clearview Wins Appeal Against UK ICO Fine

Clearview AI has successfully appealed a hefty fine from the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which had accused the company of violating British regulations. While a three-member tribunal agreed with the ICO’s assessment that Clearview had collected the biometric data of people in the UK, because Clearview does not have law enforcement clients using its face search platform in the country, nor in the European Union, the ICO did not have the jurisdiction to levy its fine, which amounted to more than £7.5 million.

Snapchat Explores Wearable Biometrics for Emoji Prediction

Snapchat is exploring the use of AI and biometrics to help users of its platform find just the right emoji. The company has filed a patent application detailing how biometric data detected through a wearable device, together with factors like time of day and location, could be used to predict the emojis that a user might be reaching for when constructing a post on the messaging platform. “Besides making the messaging application more useful to the user, the system is designed to make the context and biosignal driven emoji recommendations appear accurate and trustworthy,” the filing says.

SIA Announces Guide to Biometric Privacy Laws

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced a “Guide to U.S. Biometric Privacy Laws“, which is designed to offer state-by-state information concerning both pending and active legislation. The guide was co-authored by Dykema, a prominent American law firm with a presence across numerous states, and was announced alongside other new and updated guides including a “Guide to Cannabis Security Requirements” and a “Guide to School Security Funding”.

Facephi Names General Manager

Facephi has promoted Jorge Sanz, its Chief Revenue Officer since January of 2021, as its new General Manager. Sanz has been with the company for well over a decade, having first come onboard as an Area Manager in 2011. In a statement, the company explained that he will be working in collaboration with CEO and President Javier Mira to maintain Facephi’s strong position in the digital identity business. A pioneer in selfie-based identity verification, Facephi has seen explosive growth since 2020, its workforce expanding from 60 employees to a staff of more than 260 today.

Thales Launches Biometric Access Card

Thales has launched a new biometric smart card for enterprise access control. The SafeNet IDPrime FIDO Bio Smart Card features an embedded fingerprint sensor and NFC capabilities. “Adding to a strong portfolio of FIDO-supported security keys and solutions, this product is on the cutting edge of phishing-resistant authentication,” said Danny de Vreeze, the company’s VP of Identity and Access Management Products. De Vreeze has been busy; earlier this week, he also announced a partnership with the Colombian FinTech firm SoyYo focused on passkey technology.

Entersekt Leverages Q2 Tech for Mobile Biometric Authentication

Entersekt has added a biometric authentication system to its mobile banking platform, thanks to a partnership with Texas-based Q2, which offers a “Q2 Digital Banking Platform” that supports the functionality. “We worked closely with Q2’s SDK team to leverage their Mobile SDK and provide a seamless user experience, streamlined implementation process and next-generation fraud protection,” said Entersekt’s VP of identity and authentication products, Mzukisi Rusi.

CyberLink Beats Competition in FATE’s Video Convenience Testing

CyberLink has become the latest face biometrics specialist to celebrate strong results under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Face Analysis Technology Evaluation (FATE) program, announcing that its FaceMe solution attained the top ranking in the “Video Convenience” category of testing. In the convenience-focused testing track, the True Acceptance Rate for facial recognition solutions is fixed to 99 percent, and competitors are ranked based on their True Rejection Rate. FaceMe stopped three distinct video-based presentation attacks to get the top spot.

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October 18, 2023 – by Alex Perala