BT/ European digital ID wallets piloted in Estonia and Luxembourg

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Paradigm

29 min readNov 20, 2023

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Biometrics biweekly vol. 77, 6th November — 20th November

TL;DR

Estonia and Luxembourg have taken steps to establish secure digital ID wallets that will digitize public services and meet the new European digital identity regulation
Microsoft introduces new authentication recommendation engine for Entra
Google explains its restriction on biometric ID editing
Mastercard to use NEC ID verification in biometric payment system
Persona selfie biometrics to verify ID for LinkedIn users in Australia, Brazil
Nigeria partners with e-Gate, Visa on digital ID, payment card for financial inclusion
IN Groupe and Fingerprint Cards partner to scale biometric payment card production
SpruceID mDL interoperability event shows success for global standard
Idemia partners on the development of biometrics in Singapore’s homeland security
Procivis One launches to provide decentralized digital identity to the Swiss government
NEC partners with I3 on responsible forensic biometrics training
Touch Biometrix launches ‘largest ever’ TFT capacitive fingerprint sensor
Entrust launches e-signature software with ID verification for high-value transactions
Passwordless biometrics update from SecureAuth, device launch from OneSpan
Suprema showcases edge biometrics at global partner gathering, joins with Veris
Intellicene adds Oosto facial recognition technology to Symphia product suite
PayEye wins payment card certification for iris biometrics
Australia to introduce biometric passkeys for myGov login
US GSA requests info on ID proofing market to meet NIST standard
India decides biometric consistency means transgender people can update their passports
UIDAI defends Aadhaar authentication uptime as system passes 100B transactions
Jordan targets 1M active national digital IDs by the end of the year
Uganda procuring biometric devices for the 2024 census
Daon wins contract to provide face biometrics for NZ social benefits
BIO-key secures $800k govt IAM follow-on deal
Onfido releases 2024 Identity Fraud Report and launches Fraud Lab
Bank apps can improve customer experience with better authentication: Mitek report
Experiments show promise for real-time fingerprint liveness detection
Researchers propose a method for hiding faces while allowing biometric searches
Biometric industry events. And more!

Biometrics Market

The Biometric system market size is projected to grow from USD 36.6 billion in 2020 to USD 68.6 billion by 2025; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period. Increasing use of biometrics in consumer electronic devices for authentication and identification purposes, the growing need for surveillance and security with the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, and the surging adoption of biometric technology in automotive applications are the major factors propelling the growth of the biometric system market.

Biometric Research & Development

Latest Research:

Researchers propose a method for hiding faces while allowing biometric searches

A paper that has just been accepted to the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Transactions on Privacy and Security journal outlines a proposed universal face obfuscation method for a family of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) facial recognition algorithms.

The research paper, authored by Chinese students at Xidian University and the University of South Florida, is titled like a proverb: “Eyes See Hazy while Algorithms Recognize Who You Are.” It argues that evolving privacy laws such as the GDPR have made the need for obfuscation in facial recognition systems more pressing, which can result in a game of catch-up. The method developed by the researchers would obscure the faces in an image from human eyes while allowing them to be matched with a biometric algorithm.

“Face recognition algorithms have to be tailor-designed according to current obfuscation methods, as a result the face recognition service provider has to update its commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products for each obfuscation method,” the paper reads.

The paper proposes to solve this problem with a universal obfuscation method for a family of facial recognition algorithms using a global or local structure of eigenvector space.

“One universal face obfuscation method suitable for all the eigenvector-based COTS facial recognition products. This type of method uses spatial mapping to transform high-latitude images into low-latitude eigenvectors. Then these extracted low-latitude vectors are used as the digital features of the original image for face recognition.”

The full paper details the mathematics that undergird the idea. By way of a brief explanation, it provides the following: “It is well known that the central method of eigenvector-based face recognition algorithms is to map the face images into an eigenvector space, then calculate a distance between the original eigenvectors and mapped vectors. If the distance is smaller than a fixed threshold, the algorithm will recognize the face images as the same class.”

Per a 2022 Biometric Update piece by Shufti Pro’s Damien Martin, “In this technique, facial data is projected onto a feature area, also known as face space. The purpose is to encode the variation in pre-existing face images. The space is explicitly explained by the ‘eigenfaces,’ which are the eigenvectors of the set of faces.”
In conclusion, the paper says its “experiments show that our method has better accuracy degradation than the state-of-the-art methods with the same image quality effect and computational complexity.”

Eyes See Hazy while Algorithms Recognize Who You Are | ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security

Facial recognition technology has been developed and widely used for decades. However, it has also made privacy…

dl.acm.org

Experiments show promise for real-time fingerprint liveness detection

Researchers say they have devised lightweight software that can perform real-time fingerprint biometric liveness detection.

A team of scientists working in China, Portugal and Canada say their method requires shorter training and fewer parameters than previous approaches.

The researchers reportedly apply a broad learning system (BLS) to fingerprint liveness detection, something they say has not been done before, and something that does not required GPU training.

A BLS boosts the performance and applicability of detection algorithms on mobile devices, they claim. Authentication can follow a positive liveness detection.

A paper about their work describes a three-step process.

In the first step, regions of interest are extracted from a print and noise is stripped. Then, distinguishable texture features are built using uniform local binary pattern, or ULBP, descriptors as BLS input.

The descriptors minimize the variety of binary patterns in the submitted fingerprint biometrics features while preserving information critical to liveness detection.

Last, extracted features go to the BLS for training. The BLS is a flat network that places the mapped-feature original input in feature notes. That generalizes the structure in augmentation nodes, according to the paper.

Competing deep-learning methods, say the researchers, have shortcomings that are addressed in their approach.

Mobile devices cannot operate the complex neural network algorithms needed due to storage and power constraints. And Convolutional neural network models result in too many parameters for efficient training.

A realtime fingerprint liveness detection method for fingerprint authentication systems

Fingerprint authentication is widely used in various intelligent devices. Fraudulent Attack (FA) using forged…

www.sciencedirect.com

Image quality metrics can improve liveness detection

Making biometric liveness detection reliable and explainable requires recognizing that it is more than an algorithm, Neurotechnology Research and Development Engineer Mantas Kundrotas said during a presentation at last week’s Face Image Quality Workshop, hosted by The European Association for Biometrics. Quality metrics, Kundrotas argues, play a pivotal role in a complete liveness detection system.

The EAB event explored the current state of the art in face image quality metrics, and featured a series of presentations on new developments and panel discussions on ongoing issues in the field.

“Quality metrics are like a trusted virtual assistant,” Kundrotas explained towards the beginning of his presentation on “Optimizing Face Quality Metrics for Robust Liveness Detection.” They assess images, but also provide insight into their suitability. In addition to helping people understand and mitigate challenges to submitting a suitable facial image, quality metrics can help to explain the behavior of liveness algorithms, he says.

Problems with image quality can both increase the vulnerability of liveness systems and degrade their user experience, and breaking out both sides is important to improving the metrics used, according to Kundrotas, who lauds the approach taken by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in its evaluations.

Traditional image quality metrics, however, are not comprehensive enough to explain the behavior of liveness detection systems. If users can be told why their image will not be (or was not) successfully authenticated, the user experience will be improved.

Neurotechnology has worked to optimize image quality metrics by capturing diverse quality variations by utilizing synthetic data. The company has also extracted features that explain liveness system behavior, and created adaptable machine learning models to understand the relationship between quality and liveness.

Liveness detection seems to be more sensitive to image quality than biometric matching is, Neurotechnology has found. Liveness detection is very effective for high-quality images, ineffective for low-quality images, and tends to be middling for other images, meaning that image quality scores on their own can often function as a useful proxy for confidence in liveness detection, Kundrotas says.

The feature engineering efforts can therefore inform useful feedback for real-world users to submit better-quality images for liveness detection.

Features like glasses may trip liveness detection systems with reflection, further highlighting the need for quality metrics to recognize challenging image quality considerations.

Kundrotas proceeded to review the ways models can be trained to better predict liveness behavior, and to recognize real-world image quality factors.

The company’s testing shows that metrics can be aligned with expected outcomes well enough to guide users in capturing images that will pass liveness detection, so that most users receiving feedback from a quality assistant who are unsuccessful on the first attempt will be successful by the second attempt. Those without a quality assistant tended to pass a liveness check by the third or fourth attempt.

Main News:

Cybernetica collaborates on Estonian digital identity

In collaboration with the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), Cybernetica will analyze the architecture of Estonia’s digital ID wallet, which will soon be released as the first procurement of a four-year framework agreement totaling €6,000,000 (roughly US$6,523,590). It will also examine the wallet’s compatibility with the country’s digital ID ecosystem. Cybernetica will support RIA with applied research and consulting on information security.

The wallet’s development aligns with the plans for a pan-European digital ID wallet (EUDIW) ecosystem that will comply with the European digital identity regulation (eIDAS), with the overarching goal being to have digital IDs implemented throughout the EU. The new eIDAS opens opportunities for Estonia’s digital IDs to be used not only nationally but across national borders, as well.

Cybernetica is currently working on the SplitKey cryptographic service provider (CSP) for the upcoming eID wallet app as part of the research program. The initiative is supported by Enterprise Estonia and KredEx at the cost of almost €300,000 (US$326,132).

SplitKey CSP is designed to make it impossible to copy documents stored in a digital wallet by linking documents to cryptographic keys, creating security without depending on hardware.

Luxembourg to be test site for digital ID wallet use cases

Luxembourg’s Ministry for Digitalisation and the Government IT Centre will test the effectiveness of digital ID wallets in four use cases as part of the 26 month-long EUDIW pilot project proposed by the Pilots for European Digital Identity Wallet (POTENTIAL) Consortium.

The eGov services use case will examine digital wallets being used to quickly and securely access government services digitally. A bank account use case will refer to the use of digital IDs for opening accounts throughout Europe.

The mobile driver’s license use case will look at mDL recognition by police forces and car rentals throughout the continent. Lastly, the qualified eSignature use case will enable citizens to remotely sign documents that hold legal weight and are recognized by member states.

The EUDIW project seeks to meet the new eIDAS regulation that will equip each member state with a digital wallet. The revision of the regulation states that at least 80 percent of European citizens will be able to use digital IDs to access essential public services by 2030.

Microsoft introduces new authentication recommendation engine for Entra

Microsoft is not entirely happy with how companies are using its identity and access management product line for enterprise clients Microsoft Entra. For many years, the tech giant has been trying to get its customers to introduce multi-factor authentication. However the adoption rates have been very low as workers are not particularly interested in adding more steps to their workflow.

The tech giant has now come up with a new solution. Customers of Microsoft Entra will be automatically enrolled into Microsoft Entra Conditional Access so-called “intelligent policy engine.” The engine gives recommendations on security settings.

The idea is to help customers figure out how to have more granular control over authentication and access, Alex Weinert, Microsoft’s Vice President for Identity Security writes in a blog post published last week.

“They’ve told us they want a clear policy recommendation that’s easy to deploy but still customizable to their specific needs. And that’s exactly what we’re providing with Microsoft-managed Conditional Access policies,” says Weinert.

Automatic Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra streamline identity protection | Microsoft…

We're rolling out Microsoft-managed Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra that will automatically protect…

www.microsoft.com

Microsoft Entra, formerly known as Azure Active Directory, offers several authentication methods including passwordless solutions such as biometrics. It currently works with several biometric identity verification partners, including Jumio, Au10tix, Onfido, Idemia and more.

Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policy engine will use machine learning to automatically protect individual customers based on risk signals, licensing and usage. The system will analyze real-time signals such as user context, device, location and session risk to determine when to allow, block and limit access, or when to require additional verification steps.

The engine will start a gradual rollout next week and will give organizations 90 days to review, customize, or disable them before they turn policies on.

Microsoft says it is introducing the new product because it doesn’t want to see companies get hacked. The uptake of multifactor authentication among enterprise clients has been so sluggish that the firm decided to roll out on-by-default multi-factor authentication, called “security defaults,” which was applied to all new organizations. The company’s goal, however, is to reach 100 percent multifactor authentication, according to Weinert.

In October, Microsoft enabled customers with Entra ID-joined Windows 11 devices to switch over to passwordless authentications using a new policy option, according to Redmondmag, a blog focused on Microsoft products.

Microsoft Rolls Out Passwordless Policy for Entra ID-Joined Windows 11 Devices -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft suggested this week that organizations with Entra ID-joined Windows 11 devices can now switch them over to…

redmondmag.com

In April this year, LinkedIn and Microsoft Entra rolled out an integration that allows people with LinkedIn profiles to verify where they work online with Entra’s Verified ID. The product added Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to the Microsoft ecosystem last year.

Google explains its restriction on biometric ID editing

It seems like a small and obvious user experience choice, but Alphabet is now explaining itself when its photo software refuses to make changes to human faces and biometric ID.

At least on Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones, users will get an error message when some photo-editing tasks are attempted. The restrictions are there to prevent people from digitally altering personally identifiable data including one’s face and other body parts, and biometric ID cards.

Previously, the commands just went ignored, leaving most users (but probably few fraudsters) wondering what was happening.

The photo feature is known as Magic Editor, and trade publication the Android Authority says it was announced at Google I/O this year. Use regulations are detailed in Google’s GenAI terms and conditions.

Google Photos' Magic Editor will refuse to make these edits

Google Photos' Magic Editor on the Pixel 8 series makes complex image editing easy, but it will refuse to make these…

www.androidauthority.com

It’s not clear how Alphabet will handle the fact that facial detection is necessary to stop a face photo from being edited. That could be a problem in U.S. states that require consent and policy disclosures for biometric data analysis.

IN Groupe and Fingerprint Cards partner to scale biometric payment card production

IN Groupe has partnered with Fingerprint Cards through its Smart Packaging Solutions (SPS) brand to support the scale-up of biometric card production.

The partnership is intended to help global card manufacturers build with Fingerprint Cards’ biometric sensors, software and algorithm. The companies say their combined solution will improve reliability, reduce costs and simplify manufacturing processes.

IN Groupe’s SPS already hold a quarter of the world’s dual interface card market outside of China, according to the announcement.

“Fingerprints is proud to work with IN Groupe and their SPS solutions. It is a company that has innovation at the heart of its operations and is a leader in the payment card ecosystem. This partnership will further reinforce Fingerprints’ position as the leading provider of biometric solutions for payment cards,” says Michel Roig, President of Payment and Access at Fingerprint Cards.
“With this partnership with Fingerprints, the world leader in biometrics, we are expanding our offering to provide issuers with an even wider range of solutions to meet the most complex requirements of card issuers,” says Jean-Baptiste Leos, product director for SPS Banking Products at IN Groupe.

IN Groupe and Fingerprint Cards will show off their biometric card technology at Trustech from November 28 to 30.

Fingerprint Cards recently landed its largest-ever deal to supply under-display fingerprint sensors for mobile devices, and the company surpassed 1 million modules shipped for payment cards earlier this year.

SpruceID mDL interoperability event shows success for global standard

SpruceID has hosted a successful interoperability event, the results of which are expected to help support global implementation of mobile driver’s licenses (mDL) and digital ID.

The New York-based firm, which provides open-source infrastructure for digital credentialing, announced in a release that the ISO/IEC 18013–7 Interoperability Event, which took place from August 21 to September 8, 2023, brought together representatives from digital ID and access management company Okta, Panasonic, Samsung, Google, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for a spirited round of asynchronous cross-functionality and interoperability testing within the existing framework.

Published as N2349 in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Global Directory, findings from the event set a worldwide standard for mobile driver’s licenses and digital identity credentialing, factoring in mDL framework test scenario and security check results from participants based in Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden and the United States.

“This event helps build consensus on best practices for managing identity online,” says SpruceID Co-founder and CEO Wayne Chang. “That means a future where people control online identity, not third parties. It’s paving the way to a future when digital identity can be used for everyday needs from travel and proof of age to banking and public benefits. However, these use cases must be developed in conjunction with data policy that prevents a ‘papers please’ internet to ensure broad accessibility and non-discrimination in the digital era.”

Testing found no major issues with the specifications identified. Minor issues were able to be resolved quickly, demonstrating what Spruce ID calls the “maturity and clarity of ISO/IEC 18013–7.”

Feedback from N2349 has been integrated into the latest version of ISO/IEC 18013–7, submitted as N2356: the first draft of a Technical Specification, including all improvements and insights collected to enhance interoperability.

Idemia partners on development of biometrics in Singapore’s homeland security

Idemia and Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), the technology department of Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs, announced they have signed an agreement for a strategic partnership to develop biometrics and forensic products to be used for homeland security.

HTX chief executive Chan Tsan and Idemia CEO and President Pierre Barriel signed the agreement on November 15th. Matt Cole, Idemia’s executive VP of public security and identity at Idemia, and HTX chairman Aubeck Kam were also present.

The agreement means that Idemia and HTX will collaborate to design and pilot programs for the security and safety of residents and visitors. The partnership will utilize Idemia’s 3,000+ global research and development experts, the company’s current presence in Singapore, and HTX’s engineering capabilities to meet security needs for the nation, the partners say. The announcement specifies that they will work on “advanced biometrics,” but does not specify what that means.

“Fostering innovative technology is critical to keeping Singapore safe and secure,” says Tsan. “This partnership will provide opportunities for HTX and Idemia’s engineers and scientists and to work together to develop cutting-edge homeland security solutions.”
“Innovation is the core of Idemia’s identity and today’s partnership marks a major milestone in our collaboration with HTX,” says Cole. “It reflects our long-standing commitment to bringing cutting-edge technology and expertise to homeland security in Singapore, where Idemia was selected to supply an automated border control system earlier this year.”

The partnership will further expand Idemia’s growing security presence in Singapore. Since March, the nation’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority has gradually been operationalizing Idemia’s biometric self-clearance kiosks at Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The company also opened its Asia Pacific headquarters and innovation center in Singapore in 2018.

Procivis One launches to provide decentralized digital identity to Swiss government

Orell Füssli, a Swiss digital documents printer and provider, has announced the launch of Procivis One, a decentralized digital ID software service for government-issued digital IDs, through its subsidiary, Procivis. Orell Füssli will now be able to offer digital IDs for customers in Switzerland and around the world. The decentralized software meets all of Switzerland’s current data protection requirements for the implementation of digital identity, such as decentralized data storage, data economy and privacy by design.

Procivis One is scalable and can be used to produce verifiable credentials like mDLs, diplomas, and licenses. Its architecture is flexible enough to expand and meet current and future national and international requirements. It meets the requirements for the new Swiss E-ID, which is based on principles of Self-Sovereign Identity. Procivis One will provide the technology for the scheme, while the Swiss government will be the digital ID issuer and operator of the trust infrastructure.

“Verifiable credentials are the still missing link in digitalization to enable trusted business processes to be finally conducted in a seamless and secure way,” says Procivis Co-CEO Désirée Heutschi. “Our Procivis One technology solution will make this possible for authorities and companies in the future, thereby enabling further digitalization in Switzerland.”
“Our customers can not accept any compromises or risks,” says Andreas Freitag, Co-CEO of Procivis. “This is why we have developed from scratch without any compromises a flexible, decentralized digital identity solution based on standards. The sum of its characteristics makes Procivis One unique in the market.”

NEC partners with I3 on responsible forensic biometrics training

NEC America has announced an agreement with Ideal Innovations Inc. to facilitate training for the responsible use of facial recognition in forensics. It also released a post on use cases for its ID verification in social media.

The partnership with biometric forensics services provider Ideal Innovations Inc. (I3) is intended to provide training and operational support to promote the responsible use of facial recognition systems in criminal investigations.

The I3 Face Center of Excellence (FaCE) will give NEC customers access to training services focused on Face Identification (FI) discipline in forensics. The agreement is consistent with NEC Group’s principles in regards to AI and human rights.

“We are incredibly excited to offer our NeoFace customers the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in the responsible use of face recognition technology through our collaboration with the I3 FI training,” says John Dowden, senior product manager at NEC.
“This agreement empowers our customers to harness the full potential of facial recognition technology to investigate and solve criminal cases while upholding ethical standards. We believe this collaboration will be a game-changer in the industry, enabling our customers to leverage our technology to its fullest extent while ensuring responsible use.”
“Ideal Innovations Incorporated is honored to have this opportunity to create a synergistic approach to Facial Recognition and Facial Identification,” says Dr. Rebecca Perlman, SVP of Forensics at I3. “Our purposeful partnership with NEC provides a combination of world-class technology solutions with proven FI training.”

I3’s FaCE meets OSAC Registry FI standards.

NEC also released a post on social media use cases for identity verification.

NEC’s system can be integrated into social media platforms’ user registration processes, keeping accounts secure from fraud and identity theft while achieving high speed and accuracy. NEC’s products meet global data protection standards like the General Data Protection Regulation.

As part of the registration process, users can take a photo of themselves to establish a biometric template that gets stored on their device.

Instead of using security questions and password resets for account recovery, users can submit a live video selfie for authentication. This provides a higher level of security and convenience for account holders.

NEC's Facial Biometrics - Revolutionizing Security in Social Media

Dive into NEC's Facial Biometrics for Social Media, where cutting-edge facial recognition meets user convenience for an…

nectoday.com

Silicon Valley’s latest gadget is an AI computer you wear on your clothes

The sum total of human knowledge may be moving from pocket to lapel, with the release of Humane’s Ai Pin, a connected wearable looking to replace the smartphone as humanity’s go-to communication device and/or technological crutch. Reports in Wired, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters say the smart-badge is intended to be worn like a brooch, corsage, or Starfleet insignia, and comes equipped with a camera, text messaging, an AI-powered virtual assistant and — its most sci-fi-adjacent feature — a 720p-resolution interface that projects onto a user’s palm, called a Laser Ink Display. All this for a retail price of US$699 (plus monthly data fee).

Humane's Ai Pin is a $700 Smartphone Alternative You Wear All Day

If you're willing to clip the Ai Pin to your chest, you can talk, gesture, and tap to take photos or summon a powerful…

www.wired.com

With light and depth sensors that monitor facial expressions, voice tone, gestures and other biometric data in the interest of creating user-friendly UX and more authentic emotional responses, it also seems primed to play a role in biometric verification systems. Indeed, previous reports indicate it will use heartbeat detection to authenticate wearers via a unique biometric signature in their pulse. The microphone, camera and gesture recognition capabilities could also all be used for authentication, at least in theory.

Based out of Silicon Valley, Humane’s list of backers is filled with familiar names. The firm was founded by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, who worked alongside Steve Jobs to design some of that company’s most iconic products. The Ai Pin’s large language model capabilities are powered by tech designed by Open AI, the Sam Altman-owned company behind Chat GPT and Worldcoin; Altman also owns a roughly 15 percent stake in the company. It uses Microsoft cloud computing and has Microsoft money. A $100 million funding boost in march shot its valuation up to a total of $850 million. The first public peek of it was revealed via the chest of supermodel Noami Cambell, who wore it for the 2024 Spring Summer Show during Paris Fashion Week.

The Humane Ai Pin makes its debut on the runway at Paris Fashion Week

The Humane Ai Pin was pinned to several models, including Naomi Campbell's, clothes during Coperni's Paris Fashion Week…

www.theverge.com

Chaudhri and Bongiorno have offered the types of quasi-religious statements typical of Silicon Valley startups, saying the pin will help people “remain present,” “reimagining the human-technology relationship as we know it.” In an interview with Om Malik, Chaudhri says “it boils down to how we can productize these large, almost impossible to understand technologies in a way that allows for a harmonious coexistence.” And the firm has, of course, chosen to call itself “Humane.”

However, the Ai Pin may find itself facing some of the same pragmatic issues as the headsets Chaudhri has previously scorned. Made from aluminum and weighing roughly the same as a tennis ball, it is not exactly subtle; an apt visual comparison is having a miniature bathroom scale on your breast (in black or white options). In its basic form, it is held in place with a magnetized battery worn under the shirt; clips and protective casing are extra, as is chrome detailing that gives it slightly more flair. And there are ever-present questions about privacy. The Ai Pin is not always recording or listening like Siri; it must be prompted with a gesture before recording or taking a photo. A so-called trust light turns on whenever it is capturing data to alert those being recorded. Still, there are many who will hesitate to trust a Silicon Valley firm’s assurances of data security. And a feature that mimics a user’s voice to compose messages will not endear those who already fear the imminent takeover of AI.

New app directs digital ID traffic between decentralized energy sources and the grid

Energy Web, a non-profit that develops open-source tech for clean energy transition, has teamed up with EU energy firm Elia Group to develop a digital identity app to facilitate energy and data exchange between the electrical grid and so-called “flexible assets” such as electric vehicles and heat pumps.

The app is based on self-sovereign identity (SSI) systems and can securely transfer digital ID data between different parties, according to a release. It is designed to be easily integrated into digital wallets, leading to its adoption as an official project of the OpenWallet Foundation as an instance of open, secure, and interoperable digital wallet technology.

Elia Group’s Kris Lehrmans emphasizes the message that flexible consumption demands secure identification. “To ensure network security and stability, the integration of renewable energy sources into our energy systems will require household and industrial flexibility to be activated,” he says. “SSI will be an important tool for creating a registry of decentralized and flexible assets that will allow us to monitor the state of the network and steer these decentralized assets.”

In other words, once your Tesla or heat pump is connected to your wallet containing verifiable credentials, Elia Group’s software will facilitate allocation of the energy they produce for efficiency, storing some and feeding some back into the grid as a decentralized balancing measure that supports transition to renewable energy sources. The system will require fast, secure transfer of data between multiple parties, to account for information on tariffs, technical and contractual specifications, and personal identity information.

Elia Group and Energy Web’s offering believes the inevitable solution is to be found in digital wallets, as the EU and other territories move to make wallets a central part of digital transformation initiatives. To this end, they built the app on the pre-existing verifiable credential application programming interface (VC API) specification, to make it familiar to users and compatible with a variety of IT frameworks.

“This collaborative effort between Elia Group, Energy Web, and the OpenWallet Foundation represents a significant step toward revolutionizing the digital wallet landscape,” says Energy Web’s Senior Solution Architect John Henderson. “By officially accepting this project, OWF is empowering the future of secure and interoperable digital wallets.”

In the interest of encouraging small and medium sized businesses to adopt the software, its code and other documentation for the project is available on GitHub.

Touch Biometrix launches ‘largest ever’ TFT capacitive fingerprint sensor

When it comes to biometric sensors some believe that bigger is better. Touch Biometrix claims it has built the world’s largest and thinnest capacitive fingerprint sensor based on thin-film transistor (TFT) technology.

Named TCAP60, the sensor is 3.2 by 3 inches, and therefore meets the criteria for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) FAP60 standard. FAP 50 and 60 scanners can be used to capture 4 flat fingers and rolled fingers simultaneously.

The UK-headquartered startup has been gunning for a piece of the market for enterprise and government applications. It announced plans to launch the product in April 2022, after receiving an unspecified Series B funding round led by the Deepbridge Capital Technology Growth Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) fund.

“Touch Biometrix decided to develop TCAP60, in FAP60 size and resolution as its first product, even if it is with the most challenging dimension within the FBI-certified list, because we knew our technology had the full scalability to any size and we wanted to prove to the world Touch Biometrix’s technology is the one to adopt,” says the company’s Chief Technology Officer Eric Derckx.