Biometrics

New York City to weigh strict facial recognition ban

Legislation would bar the use of the technology in public places and in residential buildings and would be one of the strictest prohibitions in the United States.

  • By Chris Teale

How hackers outwit facial ID

Deepfakes, spoofed metadata and digital injection attacks are some of the most prevalent biometric hacks, and governments could lose billions if they are not addressed.

  • By Chris Teale

DHS tests show facial recognition tech has varied results, but gaining ground

Although some systems were able to meet performance thresholds for all demographic groups, others did show differentials because of issues with obtaining quality photos of people with varying skin tones.

  • By Natalie Alms

NIST unveils draft update of identity proofing tech guidance 

The science and technology standards agency debuted new guidelines for its policy on identity verification technology, including the testing requirements for facial recognition applications and draft policies for other tools.

  • By Natalie Alms

Biometrics have a role to play in government service delivery, trade group says

The Better Identity Coalition laid out a roadmap for states to tackle digital identity issues Monday, including how to deploy and oversee technologies like facial recognition.

  • By Natalie Alms

Wearables to keep responders safe, boost resilience

The Department of Homeland Security is funding five startups that identify and resolve health and wellness issues before they reach a crisis level.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Amazon admits to giving police ring footage without owners’ permission

The smart-doorbell company, which has partnered with more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies, said in a letter that it shared multiple videos with police departments without first seeking user consent.

  • By Edward Graham

Lawmaker says 'crypto driver's license' could deter use of digital currency in ransomware

Proposed legislation calls on federal agencies to harmonize national digital identity infrastructure by leveraging biometric databases states have been building to participate in REAL ID, a standard for accepting state-issued identification.

  • By Mariam Baksh

Senators call for removal of facial recognition tech in unemployment services

The lawmakers asked the Department of Labor to help state unemployment agencies remove facial recognition technology from application forms. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

How a Florida county’s election office solved authentication challenges

The Orange County Elections Office deployed a user-friendly, identity-bound biometrics solution that authenticates staff to ensure the security of voter data and prevent vote tampering and fraud.

  • By Kimberly Johnson

CBP expands biometric authentication to Maine border crossings

Customs and Border Protection will use Simplified Arrival to provide a streamlined and contactless authentication process at pedestrian crossings.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

When people become data records, ‘low-resolution’ citizens struggle

When identity-authenticating systems are unevenly implemented, people whose identifying data contains errors or inconsistencies struggle to access connected government services.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Mississippi launches digital driver’s license

State residents can now store a digitized version of their driver’s license on their smartphone.

  • By Susan Miller

What cities must do to responsibly deploy facial recognition solutions

The National League of Cities has published recommendations for guiding conversations around how facial recognition technology is being implemented.

  • By GCN Staff
Featured eBooks

Army wants to clean up biometric ID data

Cleaner data and biometric-matching algorithms will deliver improved matching results and limit the number of manual comparisons required.

  • By GCN Staff

AI facial analysis is scientifically questionable. Should we be using it for border control?

While governments and national security can benefit from border control technologies, advanced surveillance creates risks for the misuse of personal data and the violation of human rights.

  • By Niamh Kinchin

TSA, Delta test biometric check-in for domestic flights

The Transportation Security Administration is working with Delta Airlines and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to test a touchless system that verifies a domestic passenger’s digital identity with customer’s passport number, TSA PreCheck membership and a live photo.

  • By GCN Staff

Breaking out biometrics funding

How agencies are investing in biometrics and identity management to improve national security.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

In search of better biometrics

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released new biometric samples researchers can use to test their authentication technology.

  • By GCN Staff

Safety in biometric identification: Liveness detection technology

Liveness detection reduces the risk of spoofing by using advanced technologies ensure that biological identifiers are from the proper user and not from someone else.

  • By George Brostoff

DOD builds laser that IDs remote subjects by their heartbeat

The Defense Department has developed a device that uses an infrared laser to detect unique cardiac signatures of people 200 meters away.

  • By Susan Miller