Biometric data sharing infrastructure matures as border control expectations evolve

Biometric data sharing is the theme running throughout many of the top stories of the week on Biometric Update, particularly for biometric border controls. Even many of the other most-read articles are in adjacent data-sharing areas, like how age assurance should be carried out and how online trust fits with AI agents.

Centralizing age signals

Apple’s introduction of mandatory age verification for UK users and planned expansion of the policy into the EU represents a significant centralization of digital trust at the device account level, Regula EVP for Identity Verification Solutions Henry Patishman writes in a Biometric Update guest post. At the same time, the company is using credit card data and government IDs in Singapore and MNO data in South Korea to comply with age assurance regulations.

Online service providers are coming to terms with how far things could go as age assurance requirements spread. Malaysia’s planned “digital seatbelt” regulation may require digital ID and age verification and be the world’s strictest for social media.

Marshall Scholar Ben Fischer, who is studying age assurance at the University of Edinburgh, tells the Biometric Update Podcast that he agrees with much of the open letter signed by dozens of scientists calling for a moratorium. He also explains why he chose not to sign it.

Biometric data sharing updates

ICAO’s PKD system has been updated to enable airlines and airports to perform remote ID document authentication via advance access to traveller smartphones and biometrics. The increased flexibility in the e-passport verification platform is expected to increase the speed and efficiency of passenger processing.

NIST has updated the biometric data exchange format standard used by law enforcement, border control and other government agencies originally known as ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 to enable full machine-readability. The new version, defined in SP 500-290e4, is based part of the shift away from document formats.

The main UK ports to the EU are delaying their implementation of EES border biometrics checks yes again. French authorities are reporting technical setbacks, so the checks may not begin at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel as planned next Friday.

Thales subsidiary AB Svenska Pass will provide the ABIS for Sweden’s Migrationsverket under a new $3.2 million contract. The on-premise deployment will be used for the issuance and verification of biometric residence permit cards, and avoids the immigration authority using the police database.

On the digital identity side of things, the Kantara Initiative will act as the Authorized Auditor for OpenID Foundation’s independent conformance testing program. A newly-announced MoU outlines Kantara’s role assess applications from testing organizations seeking approval to perform tests for OIDF specification compliance.

National and state digital identity programs

Niger has launched a new biometric ID card, in a step towards deeper AES regional integration. The card is intended to ease access to public and private sector services, as well as allow passport-free travel within the three-nation bloc.

Spain’s MiDNI became legally equivalent to a physical ID card for public and private sector uses on Thursday. Acceptance of the digital ID by government and businesses is the second and last phase of the rollout.

AusPost’s face biometrics-based identity verification service Digital iD is closing down under pressure from increasing market competition. The biometric IDV technology behind the service will remain in use for certain government services for now, but the first privately operated digital ID to be accredited in Australia is being pushed out by mDLs and other private-sector providers.

Addressing the AI trust gap

Efforts in South Korea to pass legislation targeting  online misinformation and deepfakes are drawing criticism from the U.S. America’s government has already criticized online safety legislation in the EU, UK and Australia, and Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines all seem likely to join the growing list soon.

Establishing proof of personhood is an increasingly pressing concern as AI agents emerge into the mainstream. Having the right digital infrastructure will be important. A white paper from World and a blog post from Phil Windley on Utah’s SEDI present two of the contenders.

Please let us know if you see any podcasts, white papers, webinars of other content we should share with those in biometrics and the broader digital identity community in the comments below of through social media.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  week in review