State-of-the-Art In-Car Fridge Security: 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:

Proposed Washington Health Data Law Covers Biometrics

Legislators in the state of Washington appear to be on the verge of approving a new health data protection law that includes provisions for biometrics. The My Health My Data Act would extend protections to data collected by non-HIPAA covered entities including online publishers, and its definition of health data extends to biometric information that can be linked to an individual’s health or mental health. The bill has advanced through the House and been passed by the Senate, and now faces a further review of amendments in the House.

Trucking Company Faces BIPA Class Action

Old Dominion Freight Line has become the latest transport company to face a lawsuit under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The proposed class action lawsuit revolves around the company’s use of a biometric time and attendance tracking system from Kronos, with the plaintiff alleging that Old Dominion failed to obtain workers’ written consent for the collection of their biometric data, and failed to provide the disclosures required under BIPA. Last fall, BNSF Railway lost a jury trial – the first ever for a BIPA case – brought by truck drivers who sued over the railway’s use of a biometric identification system for those seeking to enter its facilities.

Delaware Police Pursue Clearview Tech

The Delaware State Police have been granted funding to acquire facial recognition technology from Clearview AI. While Clearview is perhaps the most controversial biometrics company in the world, thanks to a platform that trawls the web for face photos in order to build its database, CEO Hoan Ton-That recently told the BBC that the platform is being used by hundreds of police agencies. The Delaware State Police had requested $15,000 from the state’s Special Law Enforcement Assistance Fund to acquire the Clearview license.

Pindrop Reports Fraud Bump for Financial Sector

Financial institutions saw a 53 percent year-over-year jump in fraudulent activity in the fourth quarter of last year, according to Pindrop’s latest “Voice Intelligence & Security Report”. The company, which offers an anti-fraud solution based on voice biometrics, says its report is based on an analysis of 5 billion calls and 3 million fraud catches across large financial institutions, insurers, and retailers. Pindrop also found that the states with the most stringent restrictions on the use of biometric data – California, Illinois, and Texas – contributed 33 percent of all fraud losses in the US.

Regula Upgrades Selfie-based Solution

Regula has upgraded its selfie-based remote identity verification solution, offering more accurate facial recognition and an improved user interface. The solution also has a new feature called “Face Image Quality Assessment”, which is aimed at validating photos on official identity documents. What’s more, the Regula Face SDK can now predict an end user’s age, rather than simply estimate whether the user is a child or an adult. “With these new features, Regula Face SDK offers a comprehensive approach to biometric verification for a broader variety of tasks, be it fully remote client onboarding, KYC checks, access or border control, and much more,” said Regula’s Chief Technology Officer, Ihar Kliashchou.

New Zwipe Partnership to Bring Biometric Cards to Vietnam

Zwipe has partnered with TBHP, formerly called “Vietnam Card Solutions Application Co.”, to launch fingerprint-scanning payment cards in Vietnam. The agreement will see Zwipe provide commercialization support and technical guidance to integrate biometric cards into TBHP’s solutions portfolio. “With this partnership, Zwipe’s unique biometric payment card platform and enrolment solutions will be made available to banks and financial institutions in Vietnam, a dynamic and growing market for payments in Asia,” said Zwipe’s VP and General Manager for APAC, Alex Chung.

Innovatrics Launches New Liveness Solution

Innovatrics has launched a new liveness detection solution based on iris biometrics. The company calls it MagnifEye system a “semi-passive” method of liveness detection that prompts an end user to position their eye during a selfie-based identity verification session. MagnifEye can be deployed on-premises or on a cloud basis, and its mobile SDK is just 1MB in size, helping to minimize the solution’s footprint.

Indian Bank Enables Voice Login for Mobile App

India’s City Union Bank has launched a new voice-based login system for its mobile app. The system complements existing biometric login options based on fingerprint recognition and facial recognition, as well as a non-biometric login option via PIN. Managing Director and CEO N. Kamakodi boasted that CUB is “the first bank in the country to introduce voice biometric authentication” for customers.

New EV Uses Facial Recognition to Secure In-car Fridge

Zeekr, a premium electric vehicle brand owned by China’s Geely, has become the latest automaker to implement biometric technology into a new vehicle. According to CEO Andy An, the new Zeekr X compact sports utility vehicle uses facial recognition to regulate access both to the vehicle itself and to an in-car refrigerator.

–

April 12, 2023 – by Alex Perala

Want to get the identity news digest early? Become a member and get the digest sent straight to your inbox, before it’s published on FindBiometrics: