Speed Read

As EU AI Act Enters into Force, Other Jurisdictions Lag on Legislation (Sourcing Journal, Aug 01, 2024)
Karen Schuler, principal and head of global privacy and data protection at consulting firm BDO, said companies should start preparing for the regulation’s implementation. To do so, Schuler suggested taking a hard look at data collection, storage and usage, particularly for personalization use cases that have to do with a consumer’s body measurements or biometric characteristics.
 

Keir Starmer Pledges to Expand Facial Recognition (UnHerd, Aug 01, 2024)
Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, called the technology “dangerously inaccurate” and said it “turns members of the public into walking ID cards”. While facial recognition surveillance is banned in the EU, it’s widely used in the UK and was ramped up considerably under the previous government. Rishi Sunak pledged in April to spend £55.5 million on facial recognition technology, including “bespoke mobile units that can be deployed to high streets across the country with live facial recognition used in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police.”
 

DNA Partners Acquires SIC Biometrics to Strengthen Market Position (Biometric Update, Aug 01, 2024)
SIC Biometrics provides biometric systems to various law enforcement and security agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Postal Service, border agents, and police forces. The company secured a five-year, firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement from the U.S. Marshals Service valued at approximately $1 million for its line of Wi-Fi mobile fingerprint readers.
 

Airport Biometrics Upgrades Urged in Australia, Defended in US (Biometric Update, Aug 01, 2024)
The new contactless system would allow travelers to clear customs without stopping, using biometric verification as they walk through designated areas. This technology, already in use in several international airports, relies on facial recognition and other biometric data to verify travelers’ identities in real-time, enhancing security while speeding up the process.
 

Walmart, Amazon Sold Biometric Gun Safes That Don't Work, CPSC Warns (ConsumerAffairs, Aug 01, 2024)
There has been six reports of the gun safes being opened by unauthorized fingerprints, the CPSC said. Foreign sellers haven't been responsive to CPSC recall requests.

 

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