Undeterred by increasing regulatory crackdowns across the globe, Worldcoin is hoping to seal more partnerships with tech and finance companies – including OpenAI and PayPal. For now, details are scarce. Alex Blania, who co-founded Worldcoin alongside OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, says that the crypto platform is not ready to announce news regarding collaboration with the generative AI firm behind ChatGPT. Worldcoin ecosystem developer Tools for Humanity has engaged in talks with PayPal per Blania. The payment company, however, has declined to comment on any moves, according to Bloomberg. Last year ..read more

Fusion Technology (Fusion), an IT provider for U.S. government services, has been awarded a $159.8 million five-year contract with the FBI for its Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). With the Agility with SAFe Teams (FAST) Law Enforcement Support Services contract, Agile practitioners will support the FBI in the development of systems like the National Data Exchange, an investigative tool for agencies to search, analyze, and share criminal justice information. The Law Enforcement Online System will facilitate information sharing between local, state, tribal, federal, and internationa ..read more

Customer wins for CAF, 700Credit, Onfido and iDenfy demonstrate the breadth of applications selfie biometrics are being utilized for. Brazilian digital identity verification company CAF will help GeoComply to bring its KYC and AML product IDComply to the country’s rising sports betting industry. Brazil is preparing to regulate its huge betting gray market and international gambling platforms are readying themselves to handle the country’s 3,500 identity documents and sophisticated fraud. To maintain safe and compliant platforms, betting operators will need best-in-class identity verification ..read more

Biometric access control and airport security screening company Clear is facing legislative pushback in California from lawmakers who say that the system discriminates between the haves and have-nots. At the same time, a pair of federal Senators are attempting to block the Transportation Security Administration’s biometric traveler verification program, even as it reaches new airports and seeks funding to expand nationwide. California considers grounding Clear Clear’s program allows customers to pay US$189 a year to verify their identity with biometrics and skip through TSA lines. The line-sk ..read more

The European Union’s AI Act, age verification and keeping biometrics out of surveillance during the Paris Olympics were among the top topics for the French data privacy watchdog in 2023. The agency, known as Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés, or CNIL, published a report on its activity during the year, showing a 35 percent increase in public complaints related to data privacy. The agency has been cracking down on more biometrics providers, including rifling through Worldcoin’s offices in Paris and issuing additional fines to Clearview. Overall, CNIF carried out 340 invest ..read more

The serving deputy director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS)’ Login.gov site will take the helm as director next month, as the single-sign on web portal prepares to begin piloting facial recognition for identity verification. A report in Fedscoop says Hanna Kim will assume the director’s role on May 11. Outgoing director Dan Lopez-Braus will transition to a senior adviser position with TTS. According to TTS Director Ann Lewis, Kim “will lead the team to implement the recently-announced launch of an optimized pricing structure and a new pilot for selfie-based identity verification ..read more

A recent directive by the Bank of Uganda (BoU) for all digital financial transactions of one million Ugandan shilling ($260) and above to be completed upon the presentation of a government-issued ID document has sparked diverse reactions. Critics say the move announced this month by the country’s central bank will bring about several challenges and slow down business given that many citizens in the country do not have ID cards. On Aril 19, the BoU announced in a message on its X account that following a surge in digital payments fraud, it was forced to compel authorized operators to comply wi ..read more

The UNDP publication Development Advocate has published a new article by Tariq Malik, former chairman of Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), exploring digital governance in Pakistan and beyond. Ostensibly arguing in favor of data-driven policymaking, Malik also ends up advocating for data governance frameworks – something Pakistan currently does not have.  “Putting in place data-driven tools encourages openness in public policy development,” Malik says in a post on LinkedIn. “Equally important is a data governance framework – as it ensures that the data utiliz ..read more

A leading politician in Kenya is calling for the establishment of an integrated African digital identity in order to foster connectivity and strengthen economic ties on the African continent. But if Kenya is a model, it has yet to demonstrate it can implement a national digital ID that protects fundamental rights. Digital ID silos prevent sharing of resources on rapidly evolving tech  Eliud Owalo, Kenya’s cabinet secretary (CS) for information and communication technology, has been a vocal proponent of national digital identity initiatives, insisting that his Maisha Namba plan for a digit ..read more

Year-end financial results for biometrics providers Fingerprint Cards and Supercom show a stark contrast in momentum, while BIO-key’s delayed results filing has led to a warning letter. Assa Abloy’s first quarter of 2024 Ahead of its next quarterly report, Next Biometrics has announced it is switching auditors, from long-time auditor PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to RSM Norge, following a tender process held by its audit committee. BIO-key warned by Nasdaq for late financial reporting BIO-key has received a letter from the Nasdaq warning of its non-compliance with the exchange financial report ..read more