Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
Dior Beats ‘Patients’ BIPA Lawsuit
The fashion company Christian Dior has dodged a proposed class action lawsuit under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The plaintiff had alleged that Christian Dior failed to obtain her explicit consent for the collection of her biometrics when she used a ‘virtual try-on’ tool offered by the company, but in a bizarre ruling, a judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that Dior was entitled to an exemption from BIPA for healthcare providers, saying that virtually trying on Dior sunglasses made the end user a “patient.”
Arizona’s BIPA Passes Through Committee
A Republican-sponsored biometric privacy bill, “SB 1238”, has passed through the Arizona Senate Transportation Committee in a 4-3 vote. At committee hearings, tech company lobbyists voiced their opposition to the bill, comparing it to Illinois’s BIPA and its torrent of lawsuits against businesses found to be in violation of its provisions. A representative of the lobby group NetChoice called BIPA “the most abused piece of legislation in modern history.” The Arizona Senate Transportation Committee supported SB 1238, but said it needs “to be fixed” before moving forward.
Top Tamil Nadu Cop Orders Biometric ATM Surveillance
The Director-General of Police (DGP) for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has instructed the state’s banks to install CCTV security cameras that support facial recognition technology to monitor their ATMs. DGP C. Sylendra Babu gave the command at a meeting with 51 bank managers and representatives, in response to ATM burglaries in the city of Tiruvannamalai. The bank representatives were also told to ensure that their ATM alarm systems were in working order.
Russian Government Widens DNA Collection
The Russian government has implemented a new law mandating the collection of the DNA of not only convicted criminals, but anyone suspected of a crime, according to Human Rights Watch. Those who are convicted will have their DNA data retained by the government for life. The Russian government reportedly expects to be collecting the DNA of at least 1.8 million people annually.
Nexi Announces ‘Digital Finland’ Innovation Hub
Nexi Group has announced that its subsidiary Nets will establish a technological innovation hub in Espoo, Finland. In announcing the Nexi Digital Finland hub, the company explained that it will focus on developing digital payment products and services, noting that payments are increasingly being made by cards and mobile devices, and are “even initiated via biometric identification methods such as fingerprint readers and facial recognition.” Nets plans to recruit more than 50 software engineers to aid in Nexi Digital Finland’s efforts.
Worldcoin Seeks More Funding
Worldcoin, the ambitious crypto startup founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is reportedly looking to raise $120 million in a new funding round. Emerging during the frenzy of crypto and web3 activity in mid-2021, Worldcoin raised eyebrows with its plan to distribute a global basic income in cryptocurrency, and to validate recipients with an iris-scanning device. As The Block reports, Worldcoin’s new funding round would maintain the company at the $3 billion valuation attained in a round concluded last year.
BioCatch Opens Australian HQ
Israel-based behavioral biometrics pioneer BioCatch has established new offices in Singapore and Australia to facilitate its expansion into the Asia-Pacific market, with its Melbourne base to serve as headquarters in that effort. The company says that four of Australia’s top five banks are already using its solutions to guard against fraud, and that the country is already “contributing significantly” to its momentum in the APAC market, having seen 335 percent growth in its Annual Recurring Revenue in 2021. The regional team is led by Richard Booth, Head of APAC Market.
Invixium Gets New Distribution Partner
Toronto-based Invixium has teamed up with IDCUBE, an India-based provider of enterprise security solutions. The latter will integrated Invixium’s face-scanning time and access solutions into its Access360 software platform, and will promote them in India and through newly established sales channels in the Middle East and the United States. “As a brand with lofty growth goals, partnering with Invixium, a biometrics industry expert, made perfect sense for us,” said IDCUBE co-founder and Executive Director Rishi Chahal. Invixium debuted a new, non-biometric access control solution at the Intersec Trade Show in Dubai last month.
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February 14, 2023 – by Alex Perala
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