Sterling is putting together a new Sterling Identity division to provide customers with better background checks and identity verification services. Sterling Identity is primarily geared towards other businesses, offering solutions that will reduce the prevalence of fraud and identity theft at the corporate level. To that end, VerifyID will be the first product to launch…
BI2 Technologies has solidified its existing relationship with the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA). The company has announced that it will be providing local law enforcement with a comprehensive background check solution through an exclusive 5-year contract with the NSA. The contract specifically concerns BI2’s ACCESS Background Check Program, which will now be freely available to…
“The deal reflects the growing importance of biometric background checks for organizations operating in sensitive areas.” Illinois-based Accurate Biometrics has won a contract to provide live scan fingerprinting services for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, a particle physics-focused national laboratory near Chicago. As the Daily Herald reports, the contract is for background checks of the lab’s…
The Illinois House of Representatives has passed legislation that would require a fingerprint check for anyone looking to obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card or a concealed carry license in the state. The fingerprints would be matched against Illinois police and FBI databases, offering better background checks and making it more difficult for people…
For the better part of this millennium, the US government’s use of biometrics has been largely framed in the context of anti-terrorism. The serious investments in biometric border initiatives and law enforcement after the September 11 terror attacks led to the realization of such breakthroughs as Biometric Entry/Exit, the FBI’s Next Generation Identification program, and…
“The company has just closed a $19.5 million series-B funding round led by NEC Corporation and Tano Capital, and featuring contributions from Min Aik Technology Co., Ltd.” Tascent is enjoying a rising profile on the back of a major collaborative partnership and successful funding round. The company’s latest partner is First Advantage, a background check and…
After a big corporate shakeup, SureID is looking to get back on track under new management. The Oregon-based company, which offers identity authentication solutions to the enterprise and government markets, has seen a tumultuous few years after losing a US Navy contract that had been a key base of revenue. Hundreds of jobs were cut…
Individuals seeking to work in home care or healthcare services for the elderly and individuals with disabilities in Kansas will now need to submit to biometric background checks. The development comes by way of new legislation pertaining to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services’ (KDADS) Health Occupations Credentialing program. KDADS is now authorized…
A regulatory authority in California has determined that it won’t require ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to perform fingerprint-based background checks for their drivers. The California Public Utilities Commission indicated its decision in a new report, which still requires approval by a vote, but it appears unlikely that it will be opposed. Essentially, the…
Priests in Montreal will soon need to submit to fingerprint-based background checks, and some already have. It’s part of a larger project undertaken by the Catholic Church of Montreal in an effort to prevent abuse of the vulnerable, particularly concerning the sexual abuse of children that has been found to be pervasive in the Church…
“The bill is almost certain to prompt a notice from Uber and Lyft that the organizations will halt their services in Rhode Island if the biometric background check requirement is implemented.” Another state is considering legislation that would require Uber drivers to undergo biometric background checks. Rhode Island State Attorney General Peter Kilmartin has just…
“Public Services has consulted various industry interests prior to making the change and has piloted biometric background checks with a major contractor…” The Canadian government is enhancing its standards for contractor background checks with a new fingerprinting requirement, reports the CBC. The change is being implemented by Public Services and Procurement Canada in response to…
September is Law Enforcement Biometrics Month and to kick things off on the right foot we’ve put together a primer to get you up to speed on the various deployments, innovations, and ongoing developments in the world of justice and identity. – Sign up now for the Law Enforcement Biometrics Month Webinar – And spread…
Smaller ride-hailing services are filling the void left by Uber and Lyft in Austin. The leading ride-hailing companies ceased their operations in the city this past May in protest of municipal legislation requiring biometric, fingerprint-based background checks for drivers. Now, with the giants gone, numerous smaller companies have been offering similar services, and are operating in compliance…
Florida’s Hillsborough County is moving to implement new regulations for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, reports the Tampa Bay Times. A subcommittee of the county’s Public Transportation Committee voted to proceed with new legislation establishing a special category for ride-hailing companies called ‘transportation network companies’, or TNCs, and setting out specific regulations for such…
The Massachusetts House and Senate have approved new legislation concerning the certification of Uber and Lyft drivers, and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans has gone public with his concerns about their lack of any requirement for a fingerprint-based background check. While the regulations require Uber and Lyft drivers to be officially certified and to have…
New-generation taxi services Uber and Lyft are once again fighting efforts to mandate biometric background checks for their drivers. This time, the fighting is playing out in New Jersey, where two bills are currently being debated at the Legislature, one that would let the attorney general decide on mandatory fingerprint-based background checks, and another that…
The International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) is urging unregulated taxi services Uber and Lyft to accept fingerprint-based background checks for their drivers. In a new white paper, the organization argues that the companies’ reliance on biographic background checks and their refusal to make use of the criminal databases associated with program’s like the FBI’s Rap…
The US Transportation Security Administration is seeking to improve the efficiency of airport security screening, and MorphoTrust USA is expanding its efforts with TSA PreCheck accordingly, the company says. TSA PreCheck is the expedited screening program based on biometric identification, and administrated by MorphoTrust. Individuals who enroll are essentially pre-cleared for security, with their fingerprints…