IBIA

Marylanders Can Now Add Their Driver’s License To Apple Wallet (CBS Local, May 26, 2022)
Starting today, Marylanders have a new, easy way to carry their driver’s license or state ID, which will make getting through airport security faster. The Maryland Department of Transportation has launched Maryland Mobile ID in Apple Wallet, meaning anyone with an Apple Wallet can carry a digital version of their state identification. It makes Maryland the second state to implement IDs in Apple Wallet. The digital ID works at select TSA checkpoints at participating airports, and the state said it expects locations accepting mobile ID to grow. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are among participating airports. For now, the digital ID isn’t a replacement for a physical driver’s license or state ID, which the department said Marylanders must continue to carry.

ABT Electronics Inc. won its bid to stay Biometric Information Privacy Act claims pending the resolution of two BIPA cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, after an Illinois federal judge agreed that the pending cases would impact the viability of the lawsuit. Former employee Justin Gibbs claimed that ABT required him to clock in and out of work with his fingerprints, but didn’t obtain his consent before collecting the biometric information. ABT also improperly disclosed his information to at least one third-party vendor and failed to provide a publicly available retention and destruction schedule for the data, Gibbs said.

UKey Card, a Smart Hardware Crypto Wallet With Biometric Security (Blockchainmagazine.net, May 26, 2022)
Unikeys, the biometrically-secured hardware wallet solution provider, announces the debut of its hardware wallet, the UKey card, the first on the market to introduce fingerprint technology to secure users’ cryptocurrencies. Security is the primary concern for cryptocurrency holders, who currently do not have a truly tamper-proof transportable option for storing their digital assets. Hardware wallets on the market require connectivity with computers or tablets and are not practical for on-the-go payments, while software wallets are unsafe and vulnerable to hacks, exposing users’ private keys to unauthorized access. The UKey card is the first smart hardware wallet to offer three-factor authentication by introducing worldwide patented biometric security to its trim design. The size of a standard credit card, Unikeys has partnered with French smartcard designer MeReal Biometrics to include a fingerprint sensor that enables users to store biometric data on the card, without ever exposing it to the Internet or storing it with a third party.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee’s proposed introduction of facial recognition technology (FRT) for policing comes amidst wide international debate about the accuracy, appropriateness and implementation of such tools. McEntee’s statements about its use, made at the Garda Representative Association conference this week, were a gesture of intent scant in detail, but she indicated the technology would be adopted to scan photographic and film evidence against a database of images of suspects. She said a major backlog exists of evidence needing examination, a task demanding “thousands of hours” of Garda manual inspection of images and CCTV footage. When time is of the essence, in serious crimes such as child abductions and abuse, or murder investigations, boosting capabilities significantly with FRT could expedite policing work. She will now seek Cabinet approval for its use.

If you’ve ever been tagged in a photo online, you might have some cash coming your way — and soon. Earlier this month, more than 1.4 million long- and short-term residents of Illinois started receiving checks for up to $397, as compensation for a $650 million class action lawsuit settled against Facebook. According to plaintiffs, the social media platform illegally used facial recognition data — gathered without consent — to prompt users to tag their friends in photos. Experts say that’s only the beginning: More checks from privacy lawsuits are likely on the horizon. Google Photos and Shutterfly incurred similar class action lawsuits in Illinois, and have entered approval stages of multimillion-dollar settlements within the past year. In January, sandwich chain Pret A Manger settled a lawsuit — for $677,000 — alleging that it kept records of its employees’ fingerprints from its time-keeping system, which is also illegal under Illinois’ 2008 biometric privacy law.

Identity Week America, October 4 - 5, 2022 (Terrapinn, May 26, 2022)
IDENTITY WEEK is the most important identity event in the USA. IDENTITY WEEK is a conference and exhibition bringing together the brightest minds in the identity sector to promote innovation, new thinking, and more effective identity solutions. Key areas of focus include secure physical credentials, digital identity, and advanced authentication technologies, such as biometrics.