A controversial EU vote was tested on Thursday on whether to ban the police’s power to use facial recognition technology or deem it a normal practice of lawful policing.
Some argued that testing the vote encouraged unfair comparisons between the majority of police forces and China’s mass surveillance regime, conflating biometric technology with ‘surveillance’.
The law amendment was narrowed down in one of 12 groups of proposed amendments from 3,000 submitted by the committee of MEPs last year. The test vote was influenced by the impending AI Act which will focus on regulating the use of modern technologies to maintain the public’s right to privacy and security.
A group of centre-right EU lawmakers are challenging the law amendments to defend appropriate modern policing methods.
Previously, the IBIA shut down claims by some US senators that the Transport Security Association used “surveillance” biometrics, contributing to a false narrative around ‘surveillance’ technologies.
Charities have expressed their concern that real-time facial recognition is being abused by police and border officials on streets in the EU as well as by authoritarian countries like China.
Dragos Tudorache, representative of the AI Act, supported the vote saying:
“There is no stronger safeguard [than this ban]. A border crossing point is a public space. According to the text we have right now, you will not be able to deploy AI biometric recognition technology in a public space”.
It was reported in 2021 that 40 MEPs called for the incoming legislative proposal on AI (known as the AI Act) to place an outright ban biometric surveillance, or biometric technologies used by authorities in public spaces.
MEPS wrote: “Biometric mass surveillance technology in publicly accessible spaces is widely being criticised for wrongfully reporting large numbers of innocent citizens, systematically discriminating against under-represented groups and having a chilling effect on a free and diverse society. This is why a ban is needed”.
In December 2018, Elizabeth Denham, the UK’s Information Commissioner opened a thorough investigation to uncover how police forces used FRT after mass failure rates and misidentifications, bias, intrusive testing and discriminatory practices.
With 84 votes in favour and 7 against, Thursday’s vote opened negotiations for a mandate to implement rules over Artificial Intelligence. MEPS created a list of intrusive uses of facial recognition technology which included prohibiting predictive policing systems for profiling, categorisation (biased) systems, ’emotion’ recognition and “real-time” screening.
However, the draft omitted a ban on law enforcement biometric use in the case of serious crimes after judicial approval.
Before negotiations with the Council on a formal law can proceed, the whole Parliament must vote on the draft mandate in 12-15 June session.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued an information request from potential suppliers that could win a contract to bring biometric administration to the cloud.
The request will explore development and management tools for a cloud-based biometric database that enables proficiency in biometric administration and data collection.
Biometric technology continues to be a component of ensuring future security, safety and a positive customer experience for travel and the aviation industry. The potential contract signals a more permanent move to cloud systems after two departments of the DHS – Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection – temporarily trialled the cloud-based Traveler Verification Service, comparing cloud held passport photos of passengers against live images.
One of the reasons for cloud-based management tools is to “mitigate and resolve identified issues in the current usage of multiple uncoordinated tools for managing requirements” and enable the DHS to its fulfil duties in sharing passenger biometric data with other agencies.
In South Africa, the migration from the Home Affairs’ National Identification System to an Automated Biometric Identification System has been stalled by repeated delays to expedite new technology and phase out physical documents.
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs expressed disappointment that the deadline for completing the transition has been pushed back, with the service provider requesting numerous time extensions to deliver the migration and due diligence.
Significant financial investment was funnelled into the migration process which had been in the planning stages for years.
The committee approves of penalties against the company for the unacceptable delays and instructs challenges and oversights to be addressed, for example why the plan was not followed for migrating data, ensuring end-to-end testing, and synchronising HANIS data.
The department is urged by the Committee to find a workable agreement to impose the penalties and will meet with the service provider and test their biometric systems.
The biometric modality system will upgrade greater capabilities for population registration.
We can’t wait to welcome you through the doors at the RAI, Amsterdam in June for Identity Week Europe 2023.
We wanted to take the opportunity to outline some of the incredible content you may be missing out on without a full conference pass, as NOW is the time to upgrade.
Identity Week Europeis the premier event for the identity industry, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and innovators from around the world.
With a paid ticket, you’ll have access to a wide range of premium identity content, over 250 speakers, panels and networking opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else. Take a look below at some of the full conference features…
Session:Establishing Secure Digital Identity in the Metaverse: the Santander Story
Ildefonso is the CDiO Customer & Innovation at Santander UK and is leading the design, build and run across all self-service channel platforms across all business domains.
He also looks after Research & Development and proofs of concepts as well as delivering high profile innovation programmes – Apple Pay, OnePay FX, the blockchain-based international payments service to retail customers.
The Meta empire could be hit with sanctions by The Federal Trade Commission for misusing and profiteering from children’s data to sell virtual reality products and target harmful advertising campaigns.
Other social media networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – which are all managed under the Meta Group – would be subject to pay a $5 million penalty following a privacy review which unveiled significant flaws and weaknesses in their protocols to protect children in online forums and messaging apps.
Facebook has “repeatedly” fallen below “privacy promises” warranting the sanction, said Samuel Levine, director of the Commission’s consumer protection bureau.
In December, Meta’s targeted advertising plans were accepted but with a warning on adhering to privacy standards by the EDPB, a body that ensures GDPR compliance.
Expanding restrictions on Meta’s use of facial recognition technology, the Federal Trade Commission has insisted that Meta must seek consent to collect personal data from user verification.
IDEMIA Identity and Security (I&S) North America, the leading provider of biometrics and secure identity solutions to federal, state, and local government agencies, is pleased to announce they have been awarded a contract by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the next generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT). The contract ceiling is $128M with a period of performance over seven years.
CAT is utilized by the TSA to ensure ID authentication* and confirm boarding pass and Secure Flight pre-screening status at the airport security checkpoint. CAT provides enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers, and is currently being utilized at approximately 200 airport locations nationwide. The next generation CAT, CAT 2, enhances security screening and enables a touchless experience through biometric technology that includes face match ** and acceptance of digital identity credentials, like Mobile ID.
“CAT is one of the most innovative programs we have worked on at IDEMIA, and we are proud to continue building robust identity validation and verification technologies for our partners at TSA, supporting our Homeland’s security mission. The CAT program is setting the standard for us in our public private partnerships across government. Earlier this year we delivered our 2,054th CAT unit to the TSA, a milestone truly representing our team’s hard work, dedication and subject matter expertise in identity and security.”
IDEMIA I&S North America has also been an authorized TSA PreCheck® enrollment provider since 2013, processing enrollments for over 17 million travelers to date.
In the last few months, AI (Artificial Intelligence) based technologies and products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard have been hot topics across the media. AI, which has seen exponential development and growth over the last several decades, has recently reached a zenith in terms of hype and ubiquitous use that includes industry, science, medicine, education, and government to name a few. AI is being touted as the next technology that will revolutionize the world and has been compared to the technological innovations initiated with the rapid rise in internet companies during the dotcom boom, the advent of virtual and augmented reality, and the widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Today, many experts believe that AI is set to be the next generational disruptor with some predicting its effect to be ground-breaking in several applications and fields that may even lead to the redundancy of entire professions.
We at TECH5 recognize that AI is an invaluable technology that can be used to great effect to optimize a wide range of activities, which in turn will speed progress, help professionals in their daily work as well as aid researchers like us to develop innovative technologies. However, AI can also be used with different levels of success, as more than just using some AI approach and standard methods for training may be required to achieve spectacular results.
Today, it is already clear that many technology companies claim that they are using AI in their products, and with Big Tech gearing up for a new AI arms race, more and more players will feel the need to sprinkle AI references into everything they do to appear relevant. Unfortunately, this will quickly lead to the devaluation of belonging to an AI league, blurring of positioning, and confusion in the market.
In this article, we will explore the real impact of AI on the biometric industry, as well as share our vision and explain how TECH5 has long been using AI and Machine Learning (ML) to develop best-in-class contactless capture and matching algorithms across various biometric modalities.
AI in Biometrics
The application of AI for the training of biometric algorithms is not new. The industry started using AI in the early 2000s, when researchers began developing algorithms for face recognition that incorporated ML techniques such as support vector machines (SVMs), allowing computers to learn and recognize faces with increasing accuracy. A decade later, the industry incorporated the use of deep learning-based neural networks for extracting information-rich features from faces. This move towards resource-intensive but accurate algorithms was mainly due to the availability of large-scale training datasets and compute devices such as Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). Following the success with face recognition, researchers started exploring the use of AI for fingerprint recognition – a much more niche domain.
Despite access to knowledge and open availability of neural network models, not all biometric algorithms available on the market perform at the same level. Optimal performance of a biometric algorithm is contingent upon the utilization of specialized domain knowledge for the creation of robust features, bias mitigation using appropriate training strategies, as well as ensuring viability for deployment. Therefore, when analysing any vendor’s technology, it is critical to consider technical aspects, such as matching speed and recognition accuracy that have been determined in international tests/evaluations, the size of biometric templates that can affect hardware footprint and total cost of ownership, along with the crucial but often underestimated legal aspect, that is, the collection of biometric data for training of neural networks.
In addition, it is crucial to ensure that biometric systems are developed and deployed ethically and transparently, with appropriate safeguards in place to protect individuals’ data given the ongoing concerns about the potential misuse of AI-based biometric technologies and data, as well as the privacy and security implications of collecting, storing, and analysing large amounts of sensitive personal information.
Data for Training
The ability of a neural network to learn and accurately match faces, fingerprints, irises, and other biometrics is made possible through training using large amounts of diverse and representative data for training. The origin of these data has been the subject of much scrutiny and at times controversy. In terms of face recognition, for example, the internet has a plethora of freely available sources of face images – like social networking sites, and other channels. As a result, some companies scrape these face images without any concern as to the legality of the use of the images, and certainly without any official consent from the owners.
In reaction to these practices, several countries are starting to create and implement new legislation to protect citizens’ biometric data and rights, and to provide guidelines for these data’s fair and legal use. Nevertheless, the fact remains that each company must develop its own ethical policies outlining how they choose to use images responsibly and obtain biometric data for training fairly and legally.
Why not Every Biometric Technology and Platform is Equally Accurate and Fast
There are three main factors that contribute to the speed and accuracy of biometric technologies.
First, obtaining consent-based biometric data for training is expensive, and there is minimal sharing of these data across industry and academia. The lack of access to these kind of data leads to the creation of unreliable and poor-performing algorithms which can be heavily biased towards certain genders, races, or ethnicities.
Second, the development of a high-performing algorithm that will be used in, for example, an Automatic Biometric Identification System (ABIS), and is capable of matching potentially billions of people with the same high speed and recognition accuracy requires a Research and Development team that has biometric domain knowledge and deep expertise in the design, development, and implementation of such a system. This kind of experience can only be gained through hands on creation of national-scale projects.
Lastly, the development of best biometric algorithms requires constant investment in research, testing, and improvements. There are several independent internationally recognised biometric testing laboratories and institutions, such as NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), BixeLab, iBeta, and others, where vendors can test their technologies to ensure quality and understand their position in the market.
Leading the Path of Innovation: AI-Based Biometric Technologies of TECH5
TECH5 is an international technology company founded by biometrics industry professionals who have played major roles in some of the world’s largest biometric projects, including the India Aadhaar project and Indonesia’s National ID. Our team combines 500+ years of experience in biometric and secure credentialing programs design and execution, including research, development, sales, and marketing expertise.
From its inception, the company has focused on developing disruptive biometric and digital ID offerings by applying AI and Machine Learning technologies. Our sustained investment in and single-minded dedication to developing biometric modalities capitalizing on AI brought TECH5’s technologies to the top of the NIST rankings and led us to create a suite of novel products and platforms addressing the digital ID management challenges of the 21st century.
For years, we have invested in AI-based technologies across three biometric modalities – face, fingerprint, and iris, with the goal of developing fully inclusive identification and authentication platforms with a zero-error rate. And we believe AI has a significant role to play in the biometric matching field, serving people and businesses globally in their daily needs, biometrically verifying individuals securely and accurately, providing access to data and services, and preventing fraud.
On the Frontier of AI
Algorithms
TECH5 is committed to ensuring its technologies are highly accurate, robust, and inclusive. Our IP-protected face, fingerprint, and iris matching algorithms are consistently ranked in the top tier in NIST testing, and one of the keys to our success is our innovative approach to data training: to achieve the best results, TECH5’s research team focuses on unique and novel amalgamation of AI/Machine Learning and specialized domain knowledge from traditional methods.
The new fingerprint matching algorithm, submitted by TECH5 to NIST PFT III1, is rated as the 2nd fastest and one of the most accurate technologies in the world. This algorithm is based on state-of-the-art AI/machine learning networks infused with fingerprint-specific domain knowledge.
This combination allows for higher matching speed and improved accuracy of the technology, which results in a reduced server hardware footprint and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for the entity deploying the platform of TECH5. The TECH5 fingerprint algorithm is 400% faster than the next-fastest algorithm in the report, has a 66% lower error rate, and requires only 50% of the memory resources due to the smaller template size.
The result of submitting our fingerprint matching algorithm to the NIST PFT III evaluation proves our claim that AI/NN (neural network) plays a pivotal role in all biometric modalities to make them robust.
Furthermore, TECH5 has developed an algorithm for fast and accurate contactless fingerprint capture that can be performed using a simple camera of a mobile device. The technology allows for accurate biometric acquisition by capturing a fingerprint(s) image(s) with a smartphone’s built-in camera, checking and enhancing the quality of the captured image(s), running a liveness check, and then packaging and sending the data for verification or registration, all within seconds. The process ensures that the data is taken from a real person and that the image(s) are of acceptable quality, suitable for use with legacy datasets, and comply with applicable standards and customer requirements. This proprietary and patent-pending contactless fingerprint capture technology, called T5-AirSnap Finger, incorporates Machine Learning and Computer Vision with novel image processing techniques to bridge the gap between contactless and contact-based fingerprint capture and recognition and eliminates the need for purpose-built devices for the capture of fingerprint biometric data.
The iris matching algorithm of TECH5, also a combination of AI and traditional approaches, shows the highest matching speed among all vendors participating in the NIST IREX 10 evaluation2.
Our face matching algorithm is also consistently ranked top tier in NIST evaluations. It was rankedsecond fastest in the world in NIST FRVT 1:1 and is among the most accurate for face recognition with face masks.
These technologies across all 3 biometric modalities – face, fingerprint, and iris – are used in the T5-OmniMatch ABIS matching platform for National ID-scale projects, as well as in every biometric platform within the T5-Digital ID offering, ensuring inclusion across the globe, and are available for certified partners of the company as part of the flagship capture, identification, and verification offerings.
Data
TECH5 is in a unique position because the company has legal access to depersonalized data for training of its algorithms through partners and projects where our technology is used, academia, and biometric data acquisition.
TECH5 continuously invests in millions of consent-based, depersonalized biometric images to train its AI-based algorithms. The company is obtaining the necessary rights for millions of images and is regularly training and benchmarking the algorithms using this data.
Access to supersized datasets and expertise of the team ensure that our technologies are not only highly accurate and robust but also inclusive. Furthermore, we believe that only the implementation of ethically trained algorithms can help to develop a transparent and secure biometric market.
Why TECH5 is Different and How it Benefits our Partners and Customers
TECH5 has capitalized on its expertise, knowledge, and access to data for training to develop all three core biometric algorithms based on AI and Machine learning. Not only has TECH5 been one of the first companies to use AI across the three biometric modalities but has also been a leader in combining AI and traditional approaches for training biometric algorithms, which has led to achieving the best results on the market in accordance with NIST testing.
One of TECH5’s goals as a company has been to create a greater understanding within the industry of biometric technologies and its benefits for the users. To that end, TECH5 regularly contributes its expertise and market knowledge as a member of different international organizations such as OIX (Open Identity Exchange), SIA (Secure Identity Alliance), Biometrics Institute, EAB (European Association for Biometrics), and others.
TECH5 works only with certified partners worldwide, which permits us to maintain control over the use of our technologies and contribute to the ethical use of biometrics.
Our high performing algorithms power all of TECH5’s biometric and digital ID platforms, ensuring the highest matching speed and accuracy and lowest hardware footprint among algorithms available on the market. The integration of TECH5’s technologies leads to significant optimization and lower total cost of ownership, which is critical for large-scale identity management projects.
The Future
In the coming years, AI is expected to continue to improve the accuracy, speed, and versatility of biometric systems. AI-based algorithms will be used increasingly more to enhance the analysis and interpretation of currently used biometric data as well as improve innovative biometric modalities such as behavioural biometrics, that are not yet widely used.
The AI-based approaches will also help develop new modalities that are not traditional and work in non-ideal conditions. For example, palm recognition works with low-resolution cameras as it does not require stringent capture requirements like traditional fingerprint algorithms. In addition, the rate of algorithm improvements will significantly increase in the areas where traditional algorithms take years compared to AI-based ones taking months. AI will also allow efficiently combining modalities to create robust and high-accuracy algorithms.
TECH5 will continue to lead the field in biometrics, constantly investing in research and improving our AI-based algorithms and adding new technologies to our portfolio, providing our partners and customers globally with the best-in-class biometric matching and digital ID technologies and platforms.
Our ultimate goal in developing AI-based algorithms is to achieve race-to-zero-error across all our biometric modalities. These platforms will ensure that biometric authentication becomes foolproof, preventing anyone from impersonating another person or gaining unauthorized access.
iProov, the world leader in face biometric verification and authentication technology, announced today that the U.S. Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is using the iProov Biometric Solutions Suite Genuine Presence Assurance® technology for secure border crossings.
CBP performs numerous duties at U.S. entry control points including crowd control, baggage and cargo inspection, traveler entry interviews, travel documentation review, and assisting international travelers. iProov is being used as part of an ongoing effort by the DHS to expand CBP’s automation capabilities for required DHS screening procedures, reducing the administrative burden on CBP frontline personnel, and enhancing the traveler experience. With iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance technology, travellers can verify their identity alongside relevant documentation using their personal device in advance of arriving at the border of the United States. This information can then be used to remotely apply for travel authorization as well as to schedule an appointment at a port of entry to make an asylum claim.
“iProov is honoured to be part of CBP’s strategic initiative to improve the security of U.S. borders while enhancing legitimate travel and trade,” said Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov. “We have proven our ability to support key tenets of the program around inclusivity, user experience, and the unrivalled ability to assure that the person authenticating is a genuine person, present at the time of the identity verification. This combination of factors creates a seamless, easy-to-use process for approved travellers and an overwhelming obstacle for those who have not been authorized to enter the country.”
“We’re constantly looking to elevate DHS tools by incorporating innovative technologies into our existing infrastructure,” said Melissa Oh, S&T’s SVIP Managing Director. “The capabilities resulting from iProov’s Phase 5 award will optimise the U.S. entry process and support CBP in providing a superior experience for international travellers.” The award stems from an S&T Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) solicitation, seeking novel approaches to help CBP process international travellers at ports of entry.
“iProov has had an incredible experience working with industry visionaries at SVIP to support this CBP innovation initiative highlighted by President Biden in his January 5th speech,“ said Ajay Amlani, SVP head of Americas, iProov. “The use of iProov technology fortifies CBP’s efforts to securely increase the ease and efficiency for asylum seekers trying to gain lawful access to the U.S. undermining nefarious channels that can result in dire outcomes for vulnerable people including human trafficking and death.”
Under the new entry and exit system to control migration through the European Union, around 2.5 million euros will be invested in new biometric data systems at border touchpoints, funded by the Fund for Internal Security.
Foreign travellers will be required to scan their passports at an automated self-service kiosk before crossing the border in or out of the EU, with their biometric fingerprint and facial images captured when the new system is in operation. The process is mandatory for citizens who do not hold a visa to enter the EU. Data collected by the entry/exit system is typically deleted after 3 years have passed since the last visit to a country using the EES system.
The Foreigners and Borders Service is executing the tender covering the acquisition, installation and maintenance of biometric data equipment which will be deployed to permit entry to 25 EU countries and 4 non-EU countries that make up the Schengen area.
The investment was backed by the government and aligned with the guidelines from the European Council to proceed with “urgency” to implement “an effective management of the common external borders of the European Union… aimed at facilitating the passage of the vast majority of travellers coming from third countries”.
NEC excelled in the 2022 Department of Homeland Security Biometric Technology Rally scoring a perfect match rate of 100% accuracy out of different vendor solutions.
The test revealed negligible levels of inherent bias in the NeoFace face recognition algorithm when screening various demographics. NEC ranked highly against major global competitors in terms of accuracy and technology speed at the DHS Maryland Test Facility where specific travel experience scenarios were tested. Across the vendor landscape, many solutions are mitigating present bias and 40 of the top performing face recognition systems entered into the rally which was held in September 2022.
Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems said the outcome “proved once again” that the provider was a “leader in biometrics, digital identity and vision AI”.
“NEC’s ‘Truly Open and Truly Trusted’ approach, combined with our commitment to elevating ethical and accurate biometric technology, has paved the way for us to provide face recognition solutions which elevate security for countless customers and the nation at large,” Kiernan added.
Rishi Sunak has pushed for UK citizens to be allowed through e-gates in the European Union trade bloc, despite the UK’s EU departure making trading relations more difficult to navigate in the past few years.
Rishi Sunak’s exploratory talks are a good sign that this government is reconciling trade relations with EU members and could be beneficial to improving international interoperability around privacy standards, with the launch of the Entry/Exit system looming.
In addition to the digital wallet, the EU’s launch of the Entry/Exit system is highly-anticipated, requiring non-EU travellers to consent to their biometric data being collected and stored on their first visit to the bloc. British diplomats however have raised the potential repercussions on the UK’s right to privacy.
Prior to the recent talks, UK forged the Windsor Framework with Brussels agreeing to make travel less cumbersome and available to all travellers.
With the G7 summit in Japan approaching next month, it is expected that Prime Minister Rishi will raise the discussion with the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen to cultivate a positive future relationship between the EU and UK after Brexit and finalise the “Entry/Exit” system.
A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak confirmed the discussions, saying:
“We are working closely with the European Commission and member states to understand the impacts of the introduction of the entry exit system for British citizens, and our priority is always to minimise unnecessary delays for British passengers.”: “We are working closely with the European Commission and member states to understand the impacts of the introduction of the entry exit system for British citizens, and our priority is always to minimise unnecessary delays for British passengers.”
Want to get your hands on a brand new Apple iPad and AirPods?
At Identity Week Europe in June we will be awarding two lucky winners this amazing prize of the latest Apple gadgets if you sign up to receive our Identity Week newsletter at the event.
Each new subscriber will be automatically entered into the competition with a chance to win these top prizes worth hundreds of pounds!
All you have to do is visit the Identity Week stand or Interview pod at the event and scan our QR code signage to enter.
The winner will be announced at the show on the exhibition floor in front of thousands of attendees and experts in the identity industry.
Register now to attend Identity Week Europe and have the opportunity to win the competition!
There are a limited number of FREE exhibition passes left which we are offering to our Identityweek.net community to network with 4,000+ attendees. You will have exclusive access to the keynote stage and seminar theatre. Claim here:
These sponsors are at the forefront of the digital identity revolution, and they’re helping to drive innovation and progress in the field. We couldn’t be more excited to have them on board for Identity Week Asia 2023.
We will be opening our doors to over 2,500 attendees, 150 start-ups and exhibitors and 150 speakers to Asia‘s largest identity event. Do not miss your chance to get involved!
For more information on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities enquire below…
IQ Structures
Innovatrics
Saviynt
GEt Group
Iris ID
Jura Security Printing
Linxens
2023 START-UP CITY…
Innovation is at the heart of IdentityWeekAsia – We provide a global stage connecting innovators with the world’s most influential companies, investors and media.
Investors come to find the next big thing, global media comes to find the next big story and businesses come to find the next big revenue opportunity, whether it’s an acquisition or partnership.
Our Start-Up City is a fantastic opportunity for start-ups to gain visibility and make connections within the digital identity ecosystem.
By participating, start-ups can accelerate their growth and increase their chances of success in this exciting and rapidly evolving field with brand awareness, funding and networking opportunities.
The State Bank of Pakistan has set a timeline to adopt biometrics in the financial sector by the end of 2023, following a trend of central banks seeking to carve out a significant stake in digital identity. The revenue opportunity this creates for banks is as equal to the impact on customers being able to make quick, secure and decentralised payments without friction.
There is a global momentum forcing the financial sector to adapt and embrace digital banking. Pakistan reached several digital milestones launching the country’s first instant digital payments system, RAAST, with the pandemic necessitating a change to online shopping habits and the use of instant payment methods.
According to Mastercard’s New Payments Index 2022, biometric technology that is difficult to replicate is already here enabling the next frontier of digital payments.
Biometrics unlocks a contactless payment solution, whether online or completing around half of all in-store purchases, integrating a biometric sensor into the contactless payment card so consumers can authenticate every transaction personally with a unique credential – their fingerprint.
Global banks are tuning into the use of biometrics to fight fraud such as in 2020 NatWest revealed they were developing behavioural biometrics technology which could replace banking passwords to login or set up online accounts.
The technology was introduced in partnership with Visa for Strong Customer Authentication via VCAS, Visa’s end-to-end authentication solution.
Mastercard is rolling out payment cards with integrated fingerprint ID.
While there are some compliance frameworks that ensure credible certification, Tony Allen said in an interview with Identityweek.net earlier this year that there are simply not enough ensuring high standards for interoperability, usability and security around identity verification systems.
In a post on LinkedIn, he announced an update to the existing UKAS accreditation developed by the Age Check Certification Services Ltd which now covers the ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 specification Conformity Assessment, as part of requirements for bodies that provide auditing and certification of management systems.
It will enable the accredited certification of ISO/IEC 27001 – Information Security Management Systems – as well as accredited data protection, privacy and age appropriate design services.
Age Check Certification Services is a certification and testing body that primarily has a focus on Age and ID Assurance but also assesses compliance of testing technologies on the FIDO Document Authenticity Programme.
As our conference agenda builds, we are proud to announce the latest additions to our agenda for IdentityWeek Europe 2023!
Register now to join 4,000 identity professionals, benefiting from the latest in industry insights and real life use cases from over 250 thought leaders in identity.
Speaker: Sunil Madhugiri, CTO, Office of the Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Session: The Metaverse, Privacy, and Identity
As CTO, Mr. Madhugiri is responsible for leading the creation and identification of novel technology products that are designed and developed iteratively using highly adaptable agile methodologies and open standards to strengthen CBP operations.
Mr. Madhugiri also chairs the Technical Review Board, a governance body that focuses on improving the quality, cost effective-ness, sustainability, and resiliency of CBP’s IT solutions.
Panel: Seamless Onboarding with Digital Credentials
This panel seeks to combine government, traditional banking, and fintech perspectives from global leaders to discuss how to optimise the customer experience, maximise efficiency, and ensure security in the digital onboarding practises at financial institutions.
The speakers include:
Gian Battista, Head of Payments, Intesa Sanpaolo
Steinar Birkeland, Senior Subject Lead eID, DNB Norway ASA
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the issuing body of the Aadhaar registry scheme, has signed a memorandum of understanding declaration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, joining efforts to develop a frictionless biometric system.
The agreement expresses a will between the two parties to undertake research which will develop the live fingerprint capture system and optimise national registration to fulfil one of the aims of Aadhaar – to collect everyone’s identity from birth until death.
Furthermore, in addition to provisioning verifiable 12 digit Aadhaar numbers, the UIDAI implemented two-factor authentication in February in a step to ensure authentic authentication to public use services.
The system is designed to facilitate mobile authentication and login processes into public services from home using multiple fingerprint biometrics, expanding the Aadhaar ecosystem which authenticates 70-80 million citizens every day. The UIDAI’s authentication process matches biometric data provided by the fingerprint capture and compares it to the Aadhaar holder’s personal identity data, which issues a personalised number.
Artificial Intelligence and two-factor authentication are added features to the Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication which will manage spoofing attacks.
Taking place on the 13-14 June at the RAI Amsterdam, the world’s leading identity event will be opening its doors to over 4,000 attendees across two days of first-class industry leading content. Attendees from the world’s leading government, financial services and travel organisations will be headed to Amsterdam to explore the latest developments within identity technology.
Identity Week Europe 2023 is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the digital identity ecosystem. With a focus on innovation, security, and user experience, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry and gain valuable insights into the latest developments and best practices.
The event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops delivered from over 200 prestigious industry speakers showcasing their knowledge across 6 tracks over the two days. Hear from the likes of Netherlands Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Frontex, Eurostar and Rabobank at this year’s conference stages.The full speaker line up can be viewed here.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with peers and industry experts, and explore the latest products and solutions from leading vendors.
Ayshia Gibb, Program Manager at Google Cloud comments on her experience from last year’s installation of Identity Week Europe – “I found it very informative. I also liked the pace of the conference; it was fast and didn’t drag on. The roundtable discussions were one of my favourite aspects. I didn’t know what to expect, but the conversations were very engaging”.
The two-day exhibition will also consist of over 250 exhibitors and 100 industry disruptor start-ups on the show floor; showcasing their solutions and innovations in building the future of identity. The full exhibitor line-up can be viewed here, and the Start-Up City here.
“I’m delighted that Identity Week has become a global hub for the identity sector, where government and industry meet to discuss, source and forge solutions to some of the biggest issues facing our world today. We’re so excited to be welcoming the identity community in their thousands to the RAI Amsterdam, for the first time! After years of unrest, this year’s event will be our biggest and best to date” said Janine Bill, General Manager of Identity Week Europe
Identity Week Europe 2023 promises to be a valuable and thought-provoking event for anyone involved in digital identity. For more information and to register for FREE, visit here.
After three years at the development phase, ISO/IEC 19795-10, the new ISO standard on how to run tests for technological “bias” in biometric system, is ready to be put before the committee.
The NIST biometric accuracy test is one example that determines how vendor solutions rank in terms of accuracy and the predisposition to physically recognise individuals of certain demographics over others.
Feedback on the ISO standard are due from national standards bodies by 16 May, 2023 with the input of multiple international experts who have contributed so far.
The announcement was made on LinkedIn by John Howard, Principal Data Scientist at the Maryland Test Facility. Global vendors are mitigating the low level of bias in technologies to improve accuracy.
Giving a presentation on the standard, fairness and demographic differentials at IFPC 2023, fairness models were discussed as an active area of research in the broader AI community. They also spoke about the inherent complexities ensuring demographic fairness in biometrics and understanding why a level of technical “bias” occurs which NIST and other standard tests have successfully mitigated in most vendor solutions.
Howard touched on the numerous regulations being proposed or implemented across Europe, the U.S. Australia and the UK which govern AI and facial recognition technologies, however as of 2022 there is no standard to measure fairness or inherent discrimination within biometric systems.
An impactful series of 60 second interviews with the vastly rich identity ecosystem.
Featuring in the ID:60 series, we will hear from a range of speakers and participants across Identity Week implementing world-leading use cases.
They include new to well-established solution providers, thought-leading associations and the largest organisations forging future applications across travel, finance, healthcare and government.
