The Biometrics Discussion Gets Heavy in This Week’s Top Stories Roundup

This week’s roundup of FindBiometrics’ top stories features news and discussion around some of the more consequential applications of biometrics in the real world, in addition to a bit of more straightforward business news concerning a biometrics startup.

Starting with the heavy stuff, readers showed strong interest in an item about one of the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Canada has opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees, waiving many of the usual requirements pertaining to applications for temporary residency in the country. But it’s still insisting on the collection of refugees’ face and fingerprint biometrics, which means refugees will still need to visit a Visa Application Centre in person:

Canada Waives Most Immigration Requirements for Ukrainian Citizens, But Biometrics Must Be Collected

Then there’s the issue of how police should use facial recognition technology – a branch of biometrics discourse that has become fraught in recent years. Seeking to get an accurate picture of how the American public sees the matter, Pew Research Center surveyed over 10,000 US adults about questions like whether the widespread use of facial recognition by police would be good or bad, and whether it would curb crime rates. And it delivered some striking results:

Pew Asked 10,000 Americans How They Feel About Police Use of Facial Recognition: Here’s What They Said

The increasing use of facial recognition and the emergence of new privacy laws governing the technology were important topics that came up on the show floor at this week’s ISC West event in Las Vegas, where FindBiometrics’ Doug OGorden spent some time talking with a number of industry leaders. In a particularly popular interview, OGorden dug into these heavier considerations with Jake Parker, the SIA’s Senior Director of Government Relations:

ID Talk at ISC West 2022: SIA’s Jake Parker on Facial Recognition Privacy Legislation and the Security Industry

Important issues related to this discussion, such as the matter of privacy and data protection, also came up during FindBiometrics’ recent Year in Review Virtual Identity Summit. A replay of the entire, full-day event, helpfully broken down into session-focused videos, is now available, and our post for the downloads has been getting heavy traffic:

REPLAY: FindBiometrics and IBIA Present the Year in Review Virtual Identity Summit

Finally, on a lighter note, AuthID.ai got some attention this week with its announcement that it had raised $22.5 million in financing. The biometric identity verification and authentication specialist also reported year-over-year revenue growth, and suggested that despite a heavier net loss, its new financing has put the company on track for positive cash flow in 2024:

AuthID.ai Secures $22.5M in Financing, Anticipates Positive Cash Flow in 2024

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Keep reading FindBiometrics to learn more about the exciting world of biometrics. You can also visit our sibling site Mobile ID World for the latest news in digital identity.

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March 26, 2022 – by Alex Perala