Wrongful Arrest Horror, iOS Security, Mobile ID and More – 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:

Apple Leans More on Biometric Security in iOS Update

A new version of the iPhone’s operating system, iOS 17.3, has introduced a “Stolen Device Protection” feature that requires the user to perform a face or fingerprint scan for sensitive transactions such as applying for an Apple Card payment card or trying to view saved passwords. It’s a notable change, given that Apple has always insisted that the PIN is the iPhone user’s core method of authentication, while Apple’s sophisticated biometric authentication systems are meant to enhance convenience. Stolen Device Protection also has a “Security Delay” component that requires multiple biometric scans, timed an hour apart, in order to change the iPhone’s passcode or the user’s password for Apple ID.

Retailers Sued for Facial Recognition Investigation After Wrongful Arrest

Sunglass Hut, its parent company EssilorLuxottica, and Macy’s are facing a lawsuit from an individual who was wrongfully arrested for an armed robbery as the result of an erroneous facial recognition search. Remarkably, the biometric “investigation” was done by the retailers, and not police. Employees allegedly applied facial recognition to low-quality surveillance footage to find their match, and provided the result to police, who arrested Harvey Eugene Murphy Jr. After several days in jail, the man was released – he had been in California at the time of the robbery in Texas – but not before he says he was beaten and sexually assaulted by other prisoners.

University of South Florida Sets Up ‘Behavioral AI Lab’

The University of South Florida has set up a new laboratory to explore how humans interact with artificial intelligence, in part using biometrics. Part of the school’s Center for Marketing and Sales Innovation Customer Experience Lab, the new Behavioral AI Lab is outfitted with sensors to track subjects’ facial expressions, eye movements, galvanic skin response, and even electrical activity in the brain, in order to assess their physiological responses to things like deepfakes.

Vision-Box Provides Platform for Portugal’s Biometric Passenger Processing System

Lisbon-based Vision-Box has revealed that it is the biometrics specialist behind a new facial recognition-based passenger processing system launched by Aeroportos de Portugal earlier this month. Vision-Box says the “Biometric Experience by VINCI Airports” system is powered by its Seamless Journey Platform, and further explains that it received funding through the NextGenerationEU program and the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan, via a program called the “Accelerate and Transform Tourism Agenda”.

Regula Gets a New Customer

Singapore’s Azentio Software is Regula’s latest customer. Azentio specializes in offering mission-critical Enterprise Resource Planning and digital banking solutions to clients in the Middle East, India, Africa, and APAC. It is now using Regula’s Document Reader SDK and its Face SDK to offer selfie-based identity verification to its clients.

Onfido Launches Expansive ‘Compliance Suite’

Onfido has launched “Compliance Suite”, a set of Know Your Customer solutions that essentially adds support for qualified electronic signatures and One-Time Passcodes to the company’s Real Identity Platform. In sum, these tools deliver a compliance solution that can accommodate both local and global regulations. “The pan-EU offering has passed its conformity assessment board checks and will immediately benefit Onfido’s customers across core European markets, including the UK, France, Italy, and Romania,” Onfido explained.

Mitek Joins Canadian Digital ID Initiative

Mitek has joined the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), non-profit coalition of public and private organizations working to establish a national digital ID framework. Mitek, which offers an identity verification platform that supports selfie-based biometrics, says it will work specifically on DIACC’s Trust Framework and Adoption committees. “DIACC’s mission and principles mirror Mitek’s commitment to the development of a robust, secure, scalable, inclusive and privacy-enhancing digital ecosystem,” said Mitek SVP Chris Briggs.

Mobile ID Goes Live in Czechia

The Czech Republic has launched an official mobile ID app, dubbed “eDoklady” (or “eDocuments” in Czech). Central government authorities are now required to recognize the digital ID, and police will begin to recognize the digital ID in April of this year, followed later by financial authorities, municipal authorities, and the Czech Post. The app allows users to selectively share information with verifiers; for example, if a user needs to confirm her age, she can do so without also having to show extraneous information such as name and address. Registration for the digital ID must be done in person.

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January 23, 2024 – by Alex Perala