Learning Some Lessons With Facial Recognition Tech: This Week’s Top Biometrics Stories

This week’s roundup of FindBiometrics’ top stories is largely about two things: facial recognition, and education. Not ‘education’ in the sense of formal schooling, but in the form of thinking carefully about biometric technology and its uses and benefits.

For example, NEC Product Development VP Micah Willbrand got some attention this week with an educational item about how digital ID – backed by selfie-based biometric identity verification – can be used to streamline employee authentication in the workplace. This approach to digital ID offers a number of compelling advantages to employers and staff alike, as detailed in Willbrand’s guest post:

Making Work Delightful with Digital ID

FindBiometrics’ Eric Weiss took a different tack in an educational piece of his own, examining what security lessons we can learn from The Tinder Swindler, the hit documentary about a con man who defrauded individuals he met over online dating platforms. Digital identity was a central issue in this scheme, and there are a number of insights to be gleaned from the story, including the value of selfie-based onboarding for dating platforms:

Four Security Lessons From The Tinder Swindler

Members of Congress, meanwhile, want to learn some things about ID.me and its work for the IRS. The tax agency set off a terrific backlash with its announcement earlier this year that it would require Americans filing their taxes online to use ID.me’s biometric onboarding system, ultimately prompting the IRS to offer a non-biometric onboarding option. But some members of the House of Representatives still have questions, and have launched a formal investigation in an attempt to get answers:

Congress Opens Formal Investigation Into ID.me’s IRS Project

Turning to a non-controversial high profile facial recognition story, FaceTec stoked reader interest this week with its announcement that it is doubling the total payout from its Spoof Bounty Program, raising it to $200,000. This, too, is about learning: FaceTec’s program is designed to let anyone try to fool its 3D face recognition system – and even incentivizes it – in order to discover any potential weakenesses in the system, so that it can further refine its renowned solution:

FaceTec Doubles Biometric Spoof Bounty Payout, Raising It to $200K

And finally, some grim but fascinating news from the war in Ukraine. Clearview AI and Ukrainian officials have provided more details about how Ukrainian forces are using the former’s facial recognition platform in the conflict. Essentially, they’re using the tech to identify Russian soldiers, and in some cases proceeding to notify the families of Russians who have been killed in combat:

Ukrainian Officials Have Used Clearview Biometric Tech to Scan Thousands of Russian Soldiers

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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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April 23, 2022 – by Alex Perala