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Fingerprint biometrics and IDV set for rapid growth, big players consider blockchain

Fingerprint biometrics and IDV set for rapid growth, big players consider blockchain

Forecasts of rapid growth in fingerprint sensors and digital identity verification are backed up by reports from technology providers of market progress in both areas, with Fingerprint Cards moving forward with PC deployments and a biometric payment card project, and new deals for FSS, Blinking, FacePhi, Socure, HooYu and Ondato, and a launch for ComplyCube. Digital identity decentralization, at least in terms of computation, also continues to gain steam, while centralized national ID projects in India and Pakistan are considered for the lessons, positive and negative, they can provide.

Top biometrics news of the week

Fingerprints are set to remain one of the main methods of biometric authentication and recognition, despite the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the market, in part because so many of the biometric technology’s deployments are in personal devices, from PCs and smartphones to payment cards. The fingerprint sensor market is forecast to grow to $5.8 billion by 2026 in a MarketsandMarkets report, while Fingerprint Cards has announced deployment to another new PC model and confirmed its role in the Thales biometric payment cards to be issued by Jordan Kuwait Bank.

The Government of Canada has issued a tender to upgrade the face biometrics it uses in the immigration process, with both a front-end interface and a back-end system including databases, algorithms and infrastructure. The system is used with passport data, and the first of two phases in the bid process closes November 9.

Clearview AI has added tools for ‘deblurring’ faces or virtually remove masks to help police generate investigative leads from photos or videos. The company notes that “enhanced” images should be noted as such, and extra care taken when attempting to match them with biometric algorithms.

NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik joined ID4Africa’s latest Livecast event to discuss building inclusive digital ID, how such systems can be financially sustainable, drawing on his experience leading Pakistan’s national program. Malik also revealed that Pakistan is planning to extend its civil registry to children, and roll out an app to facilitate birth and death registration.

ID4Africa will return to in-person events in 2022 with its annual meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, the movement announced this week. The format for the event, which will be partially livestreamed, will be updated, ID4Africa Executive Chairman Dr. Joseph Atick tells Biometric Update.

MIT Technology Review’s ‘In Machines We Trust’ podcast interviews Atick as part of its ‘I Was There When’ oral history project documenting breakthrough moments in technology. Atick recounts the birth of commercial facial recognition, which he pegs at 1994, and the concerns that quickly mounted about the need for responsible technology use, and how the advent of social media changed the stakes.

Microsoft says it is working on building the partnerships and open standards that will form the basis for its planned decentralized digital ID service. The company unveiled its five guiding principles for decentralized identities, which include user control over privacy, just as Liminal was pitching the idea of personal identity ecosystems, which may do the same through use of digital wallets and self-sovereign identity.

A government-affiliated body and a think tank in India are recommending the creation of an official blockchain-based platform for digital ID to be used for healthcare and other public services. The plan includes digital wallets for decentralized storage, but would stop well short of SSI and be required for service access.

An Access Now report recounts the many problems associated with India’s massive Aadhaar digital ID program, and argues that they constitute a knockdown argument against ‘big ID.’ The report, part of the #WhyID campaign, contends that Aadhaar has failed in its central objectives, but also offers up passwords and OTPs as a substitute for biometrics.

The global market for digital identity verification will grow by more than triple in transaction volume over the next five years and reach $17.2 billion, according to the latest forecast from Goode Intelligence. The market remains very active, with separate customer wins announced by FSS and Blinking and an extension for FacePhi, Socure, HooYu and Ondato each inking new partnerships, and a new product from ComplyCube.

TypingDNA is launching a biometric 2FA solution for online authentication on desktop computers and laptops, which productizes the company’s typing biometric engine to enable businesses to take full advantage of the technology, CMO Cristian Tamas tells Biometric Update in a paid post. The idea is to replicate the robust authentication capabilities available on mobile devices without making PC users switch devices.

LoginID has been selected by the decentralized finance-focused Algorand Foundation to work on adapting its APIs to facilitate the integration of FIDO-certified biometric authentication by Algorand developers. The capability will back one-touch smart contract execution, and its development funded via a grant from the foundation.

Cloudentity Co-founder and CSO Nathanael Coffing explains the security and privacy considerations of open banking, from consent to zero trust, in a guest post. Fintech companies could benefit from the adoption of open banking, but with APIs potentially increasing attack exposure, they will need to adopt declarative externalized identity and authorization solutions, he argues.

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Article Topics

authentication  |  biometric cards  |  biometrics  |  blockchain  |  decentralized ID  |  digital identity  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint sensors  |  Identification for Development (ID4D)  |  identity verification

Fingerprint biometrics and IDV set for rapid growth, big players consider blockchain