Who Are Moscow’s Surveillance Tech Vendors?—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:

Report Identifies Russia’s Facial Recognition Vendors

Moscow’s extensive biometric surveillance network is powered by facial recognition technology from the Russian firms Tevian, NtechLab, and VisionLabs, as well as technology from the Belarusian firm Synesis, according to a Reuters investigation. Processors from the US companies Nvidia and Intel are also involved in the network, though the companies are not thought to have violated sanctions. Reuters also found that NtechLab had won prizes totaling $25,000 in a 2017 facial recognition contest organized by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and another $15,000 prize from IARPA in 2019.

Clearview Clocks Almost One Million Police Searches

Clearview AI CEO Hoan Ton-That says his firm’s eponymous facial recognition platform now has a database of 30 billion images, and that it has been used by US police to run almost a million searches. Ton-That added that the platform is being used by hundreds of police agencies. While the platform’s indiscriminate scraping of face images from the internet has drawn criticism and fines over the issue of privacy violations, police have demonstrated sustained interest in its utility in investigations.

OECD Seeks Input On Digital ID Recommendations

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published draft recommendations for the development and implementation of national digital IDs, and is inviting comment from stakeholders including government officials and civil society organizations. In its draft, the organization emphasizes that digital transformation “offers opportunities” to enable identity verification both online and offline, adding that this can be done “through digital credentials and wallets, eID cards, and mobile ID applications.”

FindBiometrics is Live at ISC West

ISC West is now underway, and FindBiometrics is on hand at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. Director of Digital Media and Events Doug OGorden will host two panel sessions at the event: “Learning the Language of Digital Identity” and “The Future of Biometrics is Here: Five Identity Trends”, both of which will take place on March 29.

Innovatrics Launches Facial Recognition SDK, Updates ABIS

Innovatrics has launched a new facial recognition software development kit aimed at smart camera and edge device applications. Dubbed the “SmartFace Embedded Toolkit”, the solution is designed to enable face detection, template extraction, and biometric matching on a given device, with liveness detection in place to detect any potential presentation attacks. It has been announced alongside updated biometric enrolment software for Innovatrics ABIS, the company’s multimodal solution for civil, criminal justice, and border control applications. Read our full story.

BIO-key Gets Africa-focused VAR Partner

BIO-key has partnered with Ethnos IT Solutions, a Lagos-based firm that will act as a Value-Added Reseller to promote BIO-key’s solutions in the African market. In announcing the development, BIO-key noted that Ethnos is focused on the banking, fintech, telecommunications, education, and oil and gas sectors. Ethnos is the latest firm to join BIO-key’s Channel Alliance Partner program, following Bravantic Group decision to get onboard in February.

DHS Uses iProov Tech in Border Control Efforts

iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance technology is now being used in the US Department of Homeland Security’s border control efforts. In a statement, the company said its solution – part of its Biometric Solutions Suite – is enabling travelers to remotely apply for travel authorization and to make an appointment for an asylum claim, though it did not explicitly indicate that the technology is being used in the new CBP One app. “iProov is honored to be part of CBP’s strategic initiative to improve the security of U.S. borders while enhancing legitimate travel and trade,” said iProov CEO Andrew Bud.

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March 28, 2023 – by Alex Perala

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