Is Your Face Recognition Data Safe?
(KMTV 3 News Now, Mar 10, 2026)
Nebraska’s redesigned driver’s license renews attention on how DMV photo capture can involve facial measurements used for biometric comparison to reduce identity fraud, with access described as limited to the DMV, law enforcement, and a card-production vendor. A University of Nebraska Omaha cybersecurity expert stresses that encrypting facial biometric data and tightening access controls are essential as AI-driven spoofing (2D, 3D, and video deepfakes) escalates the challenge of secure identity verification.
Met Police to “Trial” Handheld Facial Recognition Tech
(Computer Weekly, Mar 10, 2026)
The Metropolitan Police is preparing a six-month pilot of Operator-Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR) that uses a mobile phone app to capture face images and compare them against police databases in real time during street stops. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the pilot would involve about 100 devices and roughly £763,000 in funding, while critics highlighted the absence of a dedicated legal framework and noted the Met’s own website still stated it did not use OIFR at the time the plan became public.
Police Scotland’s Biometric Practices Come In for Criticism
(Scottish Legal News, Mar 10, 2026)
A joint assurance review from the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner found Police Scotland is failing to take fingerprints in thousands of arrests, including cases where “officially accused” adults were arrested but not fingerprinted, creating operational risk and limiting downstream search/match value in national fingerprint systems. The report recommends significant operational improvement and calls for consideration of a “take all” approach to capturing fingerprints and custody images at arrest, while also flagging governance concerns including unauthorized bulk deletions from Livescan terminals.
Now Pay With Fingerprint on These Apps Without Entering PIN
(Newspoint, Mar 09, 2026)
UPI apps are enabling biometric payment authorization—fingerprint or Face ID—so eligible transactions can be approved without typing a UPI PIN, using the phone’s on-device biometric unlock as the authentication step. Coverage notes practical guardrails such as transaction caps (e.g., ₹5,000) and situations that trigger a fallback to PIN, reflecting how consumer payments are adopting biometrics while balancing fraud risk and user convenience.
Biometrics: HR’s Role in a New Era of Security
(Personnel Today, Mar 10, 2026)
As organizations increasingly deploy biometric systems—such as fingerprint, facial recognition, or iris scans—to secure facilities, devices, and sensitive data, HR departments are positioned to play a central role in governance and workforce trust. HR leaders are encouraged to ensure biometric deployments remain human-centric, balancing improved identity authentication and workplace security with transparency, consent, and compliance obligations related to employee biometric data.
