The TSA Goes After Its Expedited Screening Rival – 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:

TSA Applies Stricter Scrutiny to CLEAR Travelers

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is officially putting members of the CLEAR expedited biometric passenger screening program under heightened scrutiny. The TSA escalated random checks of CLEAR members after a “security incident” in the summer of last year, which it has not described. CLEAR, for its part, said the incident was “the result of human error” and that the issue was “addressed immediately.” The TSA’s extra scrutiny comes as the agency scales up its deployment of face-scanning CAT-2 terminals across the country. The TSA is also a market competitor with respect to CLEAR, offering its own “PreCheck” service for expedited screening.

Indian Tax Agency to Check Potential Fraudsters Through Aadhaar

The Indian government’s taxation agency has announced plans to use biometric authentication through the country’s Aadhaar national ID program to fight fraud. The GST Administration (for “Goods and Services Tax”) says it will only do so in suspicious cases, in which individuals suspected of fraud will be asked to undergo biometric identity verification at a nearby government office.

Biometric Wearables Chip Maker Raises €5M

Dutch startup Sencure has completed a €5 million funding round led by Cottonwood Technology Fund and featuring the participation of the Northern Netherlands Investment Agency and existing investor Lumana Invest. The firm says it will use the funding to fuel the mass production of its flagship SNCE-800 chip, which is designed to let biometric wearables collect high-quality ECG and EEG signals while minimizing power consumption.

Bunnings Gives Notice of Potential Use of FRT

The Australian retailer Bunnings is keeping the door open for facial recognition despite recent controversy. The company had agreed to put its use of facial recognition on hold last June after an exposé by the consumer advocacy group Choice prompted an investigation by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, but it has now been spotted deploying new signage warning customers that facial recognition “may be used” in its stores. The domestic outlet 7News reports that Bunnings has not, in fact, reactivated its facial recognition technology, but that it may be waiting for the outcome of the Information Commissioner’s investigation.

AuthID Names New Sales VPs

AuthID has appointed a trio of new sales executives to help execute on its business strategy. Following a dramatic corporate overhaul that installed former Socure CRO Rhon Daguro as AuthID’s CEO, the company has now brought in another former Socure executive – and another Daguro – in Dale Daguro, who joins Greg Manship and Jeff Scheidel as AuthID’s newest Vice Presidents of Sales. Each new VP will get a basic salary along with commission tied to future revenues and a grant of share options.

AU10TIX Launches Mobile ID Verifier App

AU10TIX has launched a mobile app designed to verify IDs in the field. The aptly-named AU10TIX App can verify a given identity document in four to eight seconds, and also features support for biometric checks, the company says. It’s being pitched as an access control solution that spans a number of potential application areas, from casinos to hospitals to schools. “Organizations no longer need to worry about human error in the ID verification process,” explains AU10TIX CEO Dan Yerushalmi. The AU10TIX App joins a recently rebranded product portfolio that also includes the company’s flagship biometric identity verification technology and a Reusable Digital ID, among other solutions.

Prism Goes Into Preview

FindBiometrics’ forthcoming Prism report is now available in preview. The Biometric Digital Identity Prism Report is a comprehensive visual framework laying out the market landscape of biometric identity, including key sectors and notable vendors. An early proof of concept shared this past winter provoked remarkable interest from industry leaders; now, a more robust report is on the way. The preview can be accessed through a short online form.

National Bank of Ethiopia Embraces Digital ID

The National Bank of Ethiopia has announced plans to designate Fayda, the country’s emerging digital ID system, as its “primary Bank ID”, and to use it in KYC identity verification processes in the financial services sector. The Fayda project has been undertaken in partnership with the World Bank’s Identification for Development program, and involves the biometric registration of citizens and residents, with TECH5 being a key vendor. Read the full story on Mobile ID World.

Neurotechnology Claims Top MINEX III Ranking

Neurotechnology’s fingerprint recognition algorithm has taken the top spot in the template matching category of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Minutiae Interoperability Exchange (MINEX) III evaluation. What’s more, the company says that its fingerprint algorithm beat the nearest runner-up “by more than a 10-fold margin.” Neurotechnology had already taken the top ranking in the template-generator category, and so with its latest result, the company is now claiming the title of the best overall fingerprint recognition vendor of those that have participated in MINEX III.

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July 13, 2023 – by Alex Perala