Biometrics at airports sets an example for other sectors

The implementation of biometric technology at airports was the subject of several of the most popular articles of the week Biometric updatealong with multimodal biometric systems for government programs. Idemia is involved in two airport projects, one is going through a contract dispute and the other is innovating immigration clearance, and Goode Intelligence is predicting huge growth in digital traveler identities. Idemia also won a U.S. government contract, and a new biometric data collection capability for the U.S. military is nearing production launch. A new patent for biometric template protection filed by Mastercard and a new Chinese national digital ID also made headlines this week.

Top biometrics news of the week

Idemia is in the process of installing a biometric automated border control system at the first of several South African airports. The system has been embroiled in accusations of causing delays at airports, even though it is due to go live in November. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence that a former partner in the project is challenging it in court.

Singapore now operates immigration without passport checks at Changi Airport with Idemia iris and facial biometrics. The system is now available to Singaporeans and will process all arrivals in September, before being rolled out to other air, land and sea border crossings.

Digital identity is booming in the travel industry and could be a model for other sectors on how to make customer experiences seamless, according to a recent report by Goode Intelligence. Digital travel identity is expected to generate $4.6 billion in revenue by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 22 percent over the forecast period.

Idemia I&S will provide hardware and software for a multi-biometric identification system to the U.S. IRS for use in tax fraud investigations under a single-source agreement. IRS investigators are expected to use MBIS Cloud to analyze fingerprints, latent fingerprints, palm prints, latent palm prints, and facial biometrics.

The U.S. Army has taken a step toward a 2025 launch of its Next Generation Biometric Collection Capability, successfully completing field testing. The $28.3 million NXGBCC system adds a voice mode and transitions to software-based capabilities from the aging BAT-A.

UPSTO has published a Mastercard patent application for an approach to biometric template enrollment that could enhance the integrity of remote self-enrollment. The application describes using multiple scans to ensure that different people cannot include their biometrics in the same template for future authentications.

China’s government began testing its national digital ID within days of announcing its intention. The system is meant to protect people’s privacy but has raised concerns about widespread online tracking and increased social scrutiny. The beta test includes 81 apps accepting the digital ID, including 10 for public services.

The Met Police say they will use retrospective facial recognition to catch those responsible for violence and damage during anti-immigration riots. Some rioters decided to help them by filming the attack live in a van with facial recognition, then creating a permanent public record by sharing the footage online. Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to pervade the surveillance landscape, with the commissioner for biometrics and surveillance resigning.

The ASEAN region’s digital economy could be worth $2 trillion by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. Indonesia’s president says digital payments in the country will reach $760 million by then, while new projects, adoption, capabilities and enforcement policies in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines reflect regional ambitions.

State lawmakers in New York and Virginia have questioned Socure’s compliance with data protection laws and filed complaints about its practices. The company has responded to each by noting that it is fully compliant, with one objection reflecting a lack of understanding, the other a concern that other state residents apparently do not.

Combining active and passive identity authentication is a practical requirement in the era of “trust nothing” when it comes to deepfakes, writes Ping Identity Chief Architect Patrick Harding in Biometric update guest post. The AI ​​capabilities that power deepfake identity fraud can also be turned against it, as another part of the multi-faceted approach this problem requires.

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biometric authentication | biometric identification | biometrics | digital id | digital identity | face biometrics | weekly review