UK Police Find LFR Validation in New Research: 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:

Research Findings Galvanize Police Enthusiasm for LFR in UK

London’s Metropolitan Police Service (or “Met”) has indicated that it will continue to use live facial recognition technology after research by the National Physical Laboratory led to a report framed by the police force as validating. Asked to assess the quality and demographic bias of facial recognition in late 2021, the NPL went on to conclude that the technology used by the police produced no statistically significant discrepancies in accuracy between different ethnicities and genders when used with the setting the police have in place. The NPL also determined that the chances of a false match were one in 6,000.

The NPL’s research findings have prompted another UK law enforcement agency, the South Wales Police, to restart their use of facial recognition technology. Speaking on the development, the agency’s Chief Constable, Jeremy Vaughan, said, “The study confirms that the way South Wales Police uses the technology does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, age or race and this reinforces my long-standing belief that the use of facial recognition technology is a force for good and will help us keep the public safe and assist us in identifying serious offenders in order to protect our communities from individuals who pose significant risks.”

Binance.US to Face BIPA Lawsuit

Cryptocurrency exchange BAM Trading Services – otherwise known as Binance.US – and its identity verification vendor, Jumio, will face a proposed class action lawsuit filed under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The lawsuit revolves around BAM’s use of Jumio’s selfie-based identity verification tool, which involves the use of face biometrics data. A Southern District of Illinois Court denied motions from Jumio and BAM to dismiss the lawsuit for failure to state a claim, though the court did grant a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction from BAM’s parent company, Binance.

Metaphysic CEO Tries to Copyright His Biometric Deepfake

Metaphysic CEO Tom Graham has become the first person known to have submitted an application to register his AI likeness for copyright in the US. Metaphysic is a startup working on a Web3 platform to support realistic AI avatars based on a user’s face and voice biometrics. Graham created his own personal deepfake through a three-minute video of himself recorded using a mobile device. Whether the U.S. Copyright Office accepts his claim remains to be seen. The company’s stunt comes after it named a new Chief Marketing Officer near the end of last year.

OwnID Adds Passwordless Authentication to Carrefour Belgium’s Basket

Carrefour Belgium, a part of the broader European supermarket giant Carrefour, has teamed up with OwnID to implement passwordless authentication for customers on its online shop. “We were looking into ways to reduce friction and improve security. OwnID’s passwordless authentication solution uses biometric mechanisms, such as Passkeys, to verify a user’s identity,” explained Carrefour’s head of digital commerce, Jean-Philippe Blerot. OwnID’s authentication solution, offered through an API that can be used to implement it in apps and websites, helped to attract $6.2 million in seed funding last year.

NSW Names Tech Partner for Digital ID Pilot

Auckland-based MATTR has been selected as New South Wales’ tech partner for the Australian state’s Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials program. The news comes after NSW’s Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Victor Dominello, announced last November that the state would embark upon a digital ID pilot involving “photo verification technology”—a development that itself followed Dominello’s proposal of a parliamentary inquiry into the use of AI technology such as facial recognition. That having been said, it isn’t clear if MATTR’s work on the NSW government’s project will involve selfie-based identity verification technology. The does not advertize such capabilities in its platform, but does offer support for passwordless login tools and the use of mobile biometrics for unlocking a mobile wallet.

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April 5, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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