Readers Look at the Big Picture in This Week’s Top Biometrics Stories

FindBiometrics readers had their eyes on the big picture this week, if the latest roundup of our top stories offers any indication. Almost all concern macro-level events with ramifications across the entire industry.

There’s some federal legislation taking shape, for example. A bipartisan group has put together a draft version of a national privacy framework that is designed to give Americans more control over the biometric data, among other pieces of information. Its prospects remain murky, but it’s a serious enough effort to attract lots of attention from the industry professionals who flocked to our story:

Draft Privacy Law Would Establish Federal Biometric Data Protections

The Executive Branch has also gotten more actively involved in regulatory efforts affecting the biometrics industry. Last month, the White House issued an Executive Order that included, among other things, directives to the National Research Council, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the US Attorney General, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy asking for the production of reports on the use of facial recognition, particularly on the part of police. FindBiometrics readers were interested to learn about this development and the IBIA’s effort to get involved:

IBIA Calls For Biometrics Industry Cooperation as White House Moves Forward on Facial Recognition Directives

Turning the lens back onto government itself, a new feature by Eric Weiss looked at some of the important concerns around digital ID technology, and found that trust is at the crux of them. Autocratic moves from the Russian and Chinese governments have helped to chill appetites for digital ID programs, creating a new and complex communications environment for Western governments to navigate:

Why Trust Is at the Heart of the Digital ID Debate

Shifting to the state level, Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) has netted its latest high-profile victim. Google reached a settlement in a BIPA suit that revolved around its Google Photos’ ‘Face Grouping’ feature, agreeing to pay out $100 million to those whose biometric data was collected without their consent. It may be particular to one individual state, but the settlement – among many others stemming from BIPA – vividly illustrates the consequences of stringent biometric privacy laws:

Google Settles BIPA Lawsuit for $100 Million

And finally, something a bit more benign: Veriff got some attention with its launch of its new ‘Biometric Authentication’ solution. Like the many popular selfie-based onboarding solutions – including Veriff’s own Face Match – it uses facial recognition to confirm the end user’s identity. But in this case, it’s for the purpose of biometric login, rather than enrollment:

Veriff Launches Selfie Login Solution

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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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June 11, 2022 – by Alex Perala