Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
IDEMIA Joins Pilot for EU Identity Wallet
IDEMIA will be part of a consortium that will pilot EU Digital Identity Wallet prototypes, the company has announced. The “POTENTIAL Consortium” will comprise 148 participants from 19 European Union states as well as Ukraine, and will explore six use cases with respect to the EUDIW: “Electronic Government services”, “Account opening”, “SIM registration”, “Mobile Driving Licence”, “Remote Qualified Electronic Signature”, and “Electronic Prescription”. The project is expected to launch in May of this year.
Lawmakers, School Administrators Target TikTok
Lawmakers in California have introduced two new bills that would effectively ban government workers from using TikTok. Both pieces of proposed legislation aim to limit the use of social apps from any ‘country of concern’ by government workers; TikTok has its origins in China, and has been accused of being a surveillance tool by the Chinese government. Lawmakers in Arkansas will be considering a similar proposal after they go into session next week.
Meanwhile, administrators at the University of Florida have emailed students and faculty urging them to delete TikTok from their devices, citing “growing concerns over the security risks it poses.” They added that there is a “strong possibility” that TikTok will be added to the university’s own list of high-risk apps that are not permitted for use.
Pruned BIPA Case Against Microsoft Heads to State Court
A Northern District of Illinois judge has dismissed two of four new claims against Microsoft under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The lawsuit generally revolves around Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, which was used by the plaintiff’s employer to support a biometric timekeeping system for which she provided her fingerprint biometrics. The remaining claims under the lawsuit will now be sent to the Cook County state court.
Armenia, Georgia Leverage Biometric IDs for Visa-free Travel
The governments of Armenia and Georgia have signed an agreement to facilitate streamlined travel between their countries through the use of biometric ID cards. The agreement, established at the conclusion of an Intergovernmental Economic Commission meeting, waives the need for citizens of either country to obtain a visa for travel to the other state.
Aware’s Biometric Tech Gains Government Traction
Aware’s biometric authentication solutions are now being used by 12 of the 15 executive departments within the US federal government’s executive branch, the company says. It’s the result, in part, of several new or expanded contracts established in 2022. “The significant federal market traction we’ve experienced throughout Aware’s history and continuing in 2022 validates the trust these agencies place in us to power their modern systems,” commented the company’s Chief Revenue Officer, Craig Herman.
Okta Integrates AuthID Solution
AuthID’s Verified CloudConnect has been integrated into Okta’s Workforce Identity Cloud, complementing the latter’s identity and access management solutions with selfie-based onboarding capabilities and support for FIDO2 passkeys. “By integrating across customer and workforce identity, authID and Okta provide our mutual customers strong passwordless authentication that defends against cyberattacks and is easy to deploy,” commented Okta’s Chief Product Officer for Workforce Identity Cloud, Arnab Bose. The announcement follows on the news that Tax Status, the provider of a digital IRS account monitoring platform, had also integrated authID’s solutions.
iDenfy Secures Contact Center Software Platform
Primo Dialler, a UK-based provider of contact center software, has partnered with iDenfy to integrate the latter’s biometric identity verification technology into its platform. The latter’s solution will be used to verify customers seeking access to Primo Dialler’s software. News of the partnership comes shortly after iDenfy announced an onboarding partnership with Lithuania-based Mano Bank.
VSBLTY to Showcase Shopper-scanning Display at NRF’s Big Show
VSBLTY will showcase a new biometric display solution at the National Retail Federation Innovation Lab during Retail’s Big Show next week in New York. Developed in collaboration with ONYX Display Media, the “cooler” door display will use AI-driven face biometrics technology to assess subjects’ demographic information – such as age and gender – and to assess their emotional responses as they observe the display’s media content. The solution will be on display at booth #1803.
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January 12, 2022 – by Alex Perala
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