Global Surge in Biometrics Adoption Driven by Digital Trust Needs

Biometrics are increasingly becoming central to establishing digital trust across various sectors worldwide. Recent updates from Biometric Update highlight significant developments in this field, from ID documentation to digital public infrastructure. Key advancements include Thales producing Sri Lanka’s new biometric passports, software solutions by Wise AI and Liquid addressing fraud in APAC, and India reaching new milestones in digital identity.

Key Biometrics News This Week:

• Sri Lanka: Thales, in collaboration with local partner JITT, will produce Sri Lanka’s new biometric passports. The initial batch of 100,000 passports is expected within a year. However, the introduction of mandatory online registration for applications may temporarily lower passport issuance volumes. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic is preparing to tender a contract for its own biometric passports.
• Uganda: The country is launching a new digital ID system, which will include ID cards for foreign residents. The development of an “Alien Register” has faced delays due to a transition to technology provided by Veridos and the Uganda Security Printing Company (USPC).
• Romania: New biometric measures are being integrated into the immigration process, including fingerprint and facial recognition for those seeking permanent residency and citizenship. Romania aims to align its immigration system with EU GDPR standards and meet criteria for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
• Vietnam: Progress on “Project 06,” a digital transformation initiative, is advancing with a focus on digital identity. The draft Law on Citizen Identification, supported by NEC Asia Pacific and Thales, is expected to increase biometrics adoption. The rising demand is also attracting new players to the market.
• Asia-Pacific Region: A FICO survey reveals that high fraud rates and consumer expectations for smooth onboarding processes are driving the adoption of biometrics. This trend is evident in Vietnam’s digital identity push, Thailand’s digital wallet initiatives, and the efforts of identity verification providers like Wise AI and Liquid.
• India: The Aadhaar system now has 1.38 billion registered individuals. The Unified Payment Interface has facilitated over 13.88 billion transactions, and DigiLocker has reached 300 million users. A recent report underscores the critical role of digital trust in India.
• Global Insights: The World Economic Forum (WEF) suggests that digital public infrastructure could significantly enhance gender parity in economic participation and access to essential services. MOSIP has introduced a tool for evaluating gender inclusivity in digital identity systems, developed by Oregon State University.
• U.S. Developments: Arizona has made mobile driver’s licenses, supplied by Idemia, acceptable as proof of age using the Smart ID Verifier app for iPhones. Ohio has added its mDL to Apple Wallet and launched an age verification app for businesses.
• Fraud Prevention: A fraud prevention provider used by Login.gov may have inappropriately sent PII related to over 57,000 IRS website logins to unauthorized locations outside the U.S. Additionally, the IRS did not perform required continuous monitoring for an additional 600,000 interactions, potentially compromising authentication data.
• AI Content Risks: Microsoft has released a white paper addressing the risks associated with AI-generated content, urging policymakers to act on deepfakes and AI regulation. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) offers recommendations for generative AI developers ahead of the U.S. elections.
• Product Safety: The U.S. Consumer Safety Protection Commission (CSPC) has advised against using biometric features on gun safes from Owsoo and Cacagoo due to poor false acceptance rates, highlighting the importance of rejecting inferior biometric security products.

Biometric Update Managing Editor Chris Burt recently interviewed David Burnett about ZeroBiometrics’ innovations in privacy-preserving authentication that do not store sensitive data.

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