Integrating Ethiopia’s national ID Fayda with its tax system could improve the quality of tax data, taxpayer experience, and compliance monitoring and enforcement while broadening the country’s tax base, according to an independent analysis. The International Centre for Tax & Development (ICTD) has identified five potential benefits to Ethiopia is based on a recent analysis of tax reforms in Uganda and Ghana, published by the Institute of Development Studies. Both countries integrated their national digital ID with their tax systems as part of broader digitization initiatives, which have ..read more

Innovatrics presents a use case, AuthID nabs a new deal and another BIPA lawsuit has been filed over selfie biometrics in the U.S. Innovatrics examines its love affair with ride-hailing platforms Innovatrics has published a case study examining how ride-hailing apps helped improve its products, including its digital onboarding tool DOT. Ride-hailing companies onboard drivers through biometric verification and have plenty of real-life experience in detecting identity fraud. Drivers who are banned from platforms for transgressions sometimes attempt to sidestep the bans by presenting someone els ..read more

In a digital age marked by technological advancement, the integration of facial recognition technology into business operations has sparked profound ethical and legal questions. Can facial recognition be implemented responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with the law? This pressing inquiry was at the forefront of a recent webinar led by Tony Porter, chief privacy officer of Corsight AI and former UK surveillance camera commissioner. The webinar featured a panel discussion including Pauline Norstrom,CEO of Anekanta AI, and Mike Gillespie, founder and thought leader of Advent IM Limited, del ..read more

May 10, 2024 - Clear’s revenues from its reusable digital ID and airport biometrics increased by more than 35 percent year-over-year to $179 million for the first quarter of the fiscal 2024 year. Total booking were up more than 20 percent to $180.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA during the quarter reached $40.9 million. Net income was $32.1 million and earnings per common and diluted basic share was $0.20. CEO Caryn Seidman Becker says Clear executed on its three priorities of improving the membership experience, scaling its TSA PreCheck operations and its Clear Verified identity verification p ..read more

The pan-European digital identity project will receive another cash infusion for its pilot programs. The European Union has published a new call for grants for the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, targeting four different use cases: Business, payment and banking, travel and age verification wallets. The value of the new funding is 20 million euros (US$21.5 million). The grants will support two more rounds of large-scale pilots designed to test the EUDI Wallet before its roll-out to EU Member States. The deadline for the application is September 24, 2024. The deliverables include ..read more

The Peruvian national identification registry, which issues the country’s digital IDs, has found itself in turmoil after its employees initiated a strike against the institution’s boss and its faulty technology. The institution has also come under attack for “constant failures” in providing biometric verification for companies. Last Friday, workers of the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil, RENIEC) suspended the service to citizens, demanding that the government not extend the employment of the current head of the instituti ..read more

Worldcoin, a company dedicated to enhancing online security, has announced the commencement of biometric enrollments in Peru. The move aims to increase access to verified proof of humanness in the South American nation, as the next step on its path to issuing digital identity globally. The announcement shortly follows the company's commitment to move into Latin American territories. One of the offerings by Worldcoin is the World ID, a secure and permissionless identity protocol designed to enable individuals to prove their humanness online while safeguarding their privacy. This initiative come ..read more

The U.S. Senate has approved the mandate of the Federal Aviation Administration for another five years, without a proposed amendment that would have barred the expansion of facial recognition at America’s airports. The legislation to reauthorize the FAA was approved by an 88 to 4 vote. The amendment to block the expansion of face biometrics technology deployed by the TSA until at least 2027 was proposed by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). It would also have required “simple and clear signage, spoken announcements, or other accessible notifications” of the option not to participate. Merkley clai ..read more

Facial recognition technology has become prevalent in various industries because it enhances security measures and improves customer experiences. Banking operations in particular can be dramatically improved with face biometrics, according to RecFaces, thereby redefining the traditional banking landscape. In the banking industry, security is of utmost importance when it comes to technological advancements. With the help of facial recognition, banks can significantly enhance their security measures and protect against the constant threat of fraud and identity theft. Facial recognition offers a ..read more

Tesla’s handling of personal biometric data is good enough for China, according to a report from the South China Morning Post. The electric car company’s Model 3 and Model Y have been cleared by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), a government-backed industry consortium, in a test of compliance with Beijing’s data security rules. The assessment essentially confirms that the company has demonstrated acceptable privacy protection in handling personal data, including facial recognition imagery and cockpit data. But its implications for the Chinese market go beyond biometrics ..read more