Biometric Update https://www.biometricupdate.com Biometrics News, Companies and Explainers Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:30:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 66434804 Gataca boosts age assurance pitch with certification to ISO standard by ACCS https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/gataca-boosts-age-assurance-pitch-with-certification-to-iso-standard-by-accs https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/gataca-boosts-age-assurance-pitch-with-certification-to-iso-standard-by-accs#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:29:34 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344304 Madrid-based Gataca is now certified as a provider of privacy-preserving age assurance following an independent assessment. The company successfully completed an evaluation against the technical requirements for age assurance systems based on ISO/IEC 27566 by the Age Check Certification Scheme. Gataca has been expanding the capabilities of its digital identity wallet, including with an anti-fraud intelligence layer earlier this year, and software for interacting with different digital wallets. Among that software is the Vouch single sign-on and authentication technology, which allows users to perform delegated identity verification, and now age verification, with Gataca acting as the credential issuer. Specifically, the ACCS found that Gataca’s Vouch Age Assurance Service meets the requirements set out in the freely-offered standard, which was officially published in final form in December, 2025. The Amie Vouch age check solution from Gataca offers biometric facial age estimation and ID wallet verification, which also includes selfie biometrics, as age assurance methods. The company announced its certification on LinkedIn and thanked ACCS Executive Director Tony Allen, along with the ACCS and Gataca teams. Gataca presented its technology in the post as “helping organizations verify age without collecting more personal data than necessary.” The certification makes Gataca one of few companies that can show independent proof of conformity to the global age assurance standard, just as the market takes off and Spanish regulator AEPD blocks organizations from offering biometric age estimation or verification without also providing a pathway which relies on possession or knowledge-based factors.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/gataca-boosts-age-assurance-pitch-with-certification-to-iso-standard-by-accs/feed 0 344304 BixeLab testing activity highlights expansion of biometric assurance https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/bixelab-testing-activity-highlights-expansion-of-biometric-assurance https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/bixelab-testing-activity-highlights-expansion-of-biometric-assurance#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:19:26 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344292 As digital identity systems evolve, biometric testing labs are increasingly becoming central to trust, compliance and interoperability. BixeLab’s recent activity reflects the continued evolution of biometric assurance, where established methods like PAD now sit alongside newer areas such as injection attack detection (IAD), deepfake resilience and operational facial verification. Recent evaluations conducted by the lab covered ISO/IEC 30107-3 compliant PAD Level 3, emerging IAD methodologies aligned with CEN/TS 18099, and airport-based facial verification testing against ISO/IEC 19795 standards.

PAD Level 3 test throws 100 attacks at TruID

BixeLab conducted Level 3 PAD testing on the latest version of Verichains TrueID’s SDK using bona fide presentations and multiple presentation attack instrument (PAI) species in accordance with ISO/IEC 30107-3 requirements. BixeLab conducted 100 Level C presentation attack transactions across four PAI species, and 40 bona fide presentation transactions across 8 test subjects. The evaluation confirms that the TrueID SDK - v3.1.1 – “was tested in compliance with the applicable ISO/IEC 30107-3 specifications to a level 3 sophistication for presentation attack detection testing and reporting.”

IAD evaluation ‘in close alignment’ with emerging standard

The IAD test covered Advance.AI’s Liveness Detection SDK iOS v8.5.7 and Android v4.1.5. Unlike PAD, injection attack detection still lacks a mature standards and accreditation ecosystem. Per BixeLab’s notice, the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) does not currently accredit Injection Attack Detection (IAD) to CEN/TS 18099; as such, the evaluation was “conducted in close alignment with CEN/TS 18099, but it does not constitute an NVLAP-accredited outcome.” Injection attack methods (IAMs) and injection attack instruments (IAIs) were deployed across Android and iOS environments to assess the system’s resilience under controlled test conditions. The lab used virtual-sensor injection, device emulation, rooted-device execution with root-state masking, and function hooking to confirm root-masking concealment. The evaluation included a range of synthetic and manipulated media, including morphed images, deepfakes, reenactment videos and 3D avatar content. The evaluation concludes that “within the scope of executed testing, no successful sensor-level injection bypass was observed.”

Cognitec airport facial verification evaluated

The third evaluation, conducted for Cognitec, is a Biometric Performance Evaluation of the company’s FaceVACS algorithm version B16, aligned to applicable specifications of ISO/IEC 19795-2 and ISO/IEC 19795-6. Conducted at Brisbane International Airport in late 2025 to early 2026, it covered two workflows: “1:1 face verification between kiosk-captured images and passport-derived reference imagery,” and “1:N face identification between bagdrop probe images and an enrolled gallery of 7,712 references derived from the same passenger journey.” The evaluation concludes that Cognitec’s algorithm “was evaluated using operational data in alignment with the applicable specifications of ISO/IEC 19795-2 and ISO/IEC 19795-6.”]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/bixelab-testing-activity-highlights-expansion-of-biometric-assurance/feed 0 344292 Apple removes Russian digital ID app Max from its stores citing sanctions https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/apple-removes-russian-digital-id-app-max-from-its-stores-citing-sanctions https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/apple-removes-russian-digital-id-app-max-from-its-stores-citing-sanctions#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:11:09 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344280 Apple has removed Russian state-backed messaging and digital ID platform Max from its official App Store, affecting more than 20 million users. The U.S. tech company says the removal was carried out to comply with sanctions regulations.​ Max users discovered that the app was missing from the App Store on Wednesday. The platform’s developer, VKontakte, warned that the removal means Apple device owners can no longer receive notifications from the app, but that messages will still be delivered and all Max functions will remain available. “We recommend that you open the application yourself from time to time so as not to miss important messages,” Vkontakte said in a statement to Russian news agency TASS. The company added that it has reached out to Apple to solve the problem. Apple did not specify which sanctions the company is following in removing Max from the App Store. Apple’s move has prompted a response from the Russian government. The state-backed app has been playing a role in providing Russians with access to public and private services, allowing users to create digital IDs for identification and age verification. Ministry of Digital Development's Maksut Shadayev said the agency plans to address the issue of removal, financial news outlet RBC reports. “We already have a daily audience of more than 60 million people,” says Shadayev. “Approximately 25-30 percent are users of devices on the iOS platform. With this decision, Apple immediately limited the access of more than 20 million iPhone and iPad users to the national messenger service without explanation.” The Max app has been drawing accusations of spying and censorship. Although the government is presenting it as a push towards digitalization, many see it as a way to surveil Russians and distance them from Western platforms and independent sources of information. Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has been advocating for the removal of the app from Apple and Google app stores, according to the BBC. It is unclear whether oppositional campaigning could have influenced Apple's decision. The beta version of Max was released in March 2025 and currently has 120 million registered users. The platform is also available in approximately 40 countries outside of Russia. The Russian government has mandated that all smartphones sold after September 2025 must come with Max pre-installed.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/apple-removes-russian-digital-id-app-max-from-its-stores-citing-sanctions/feed 0 344280 G7 backs privacy-preserving age assurance as Japan proposes social media access limits https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/g7-backs-privacy-preserving-age-assurance-as-japan-proposes-social-media-access-limits https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/g7-backs-privacy-preserving-age-assurance-as-japan-proposes-social-media-access-limits#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:03:12 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344191 Japan is considering new restrictions on minors’ access to social media while stopping short of blanket age bans. While countries such as Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia have moved toward biometric-backed age-gating measures for social media access, Japan is pursuing a more flexible model. The draft measures propose working with relevant parties such as telco operators to establish “methods of age verification based on feasible technologies and systems,” reports The Japan Times. Earlier, it was reported that Japan was considering age-based content filtering by default. If the proposals are adopted, it could mean different age limits for different platforms and each platform implementing its own age verification methods. Currently, social media age verification is only based on self-reporting, making it easy to bypass. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said a broad age restriction would be difficult to implement as social media was too embedded as a communications tool in its society, with each platform having its unique functions. Support among both parents and under-25s in Japan for outright bans on social media for under-16s is relatively low, a report found. The new proposals include asking platform operators to evaluate the risks of their services and publish the findings of the assessments. Another measure is implementing parental controls and having them turned on as the default setting for minors’ accounts. The draft emphasizes providing better support to improve the technology literacy of parents and teachers. The proposals will accept public comment before they are finalized this summer. Other ministries will then suggest amendments, additions or counter arguments. It could be some time before they become law, but the communications ministry hopes to have finalized policy by the year’s end. Meanwhile, the G7 group of developed countries, which includes Japan, have agreed to a landmark set of principles for safeguarding minors online.

G7 backs interoperable, privacy-preserving age assurance

Common principles intended to establish a safer and more secure online environment for children have been agreed to by the G7. The U.S., UK, Japan, France, Germany, Canada and Italy have adopted seven Common Principles, with the European Union another adopter and an advocate. In a statement from the EU Commission, it said the principles “reflect the EU’s leadership in fostering collective action to create a safer digital world for children and demonstrate this goal is shared by our likeminded partners.” Effective age assurance is one of the agreement’s central principles. Principle one calls for robust, reliable, privacy-preserving and interoperable age assurance solutions as part of facilitating an “age-appropriate digital experience” for minors. The principle explicitly includes protecting freedom of expression and privacy, so recommends parental consent, among others, for age assurance. The seven principles call for a comprehensive “safety-by-design” framework for protecting minors online. This requires embedding risk assessment and mitigation directly into the development phase of digital services, backed by “meaningful” transparency. The approach relies on the deployment of robust, privacy-preserving age assurance technologies to ensure children only interact with age-appropriate content. Furthermore, minors’ accounts must be secured with high-level privacy settings and recommendation algorithms designed to minimize excessive usage, complemented by tools that empower children to manage their own digital footprint. At a foundational level, platforms must implement aggressive measures to stop the creation and spread of harmful content, such as child sexual abuse material and AI-generated non-consensual imagery, while providing dedicated support systems for victims. These safeguards are further strengthened by providing parents with interoperable supervision tools and establishing broad digital literacy programs to help families navigate the complexities of modern technology, including generative AI. Finally, fostering a culture of cooperation between service providers and the research community to share data and continuously refine the strategies used to keep young users safe. The principles will be clarified via an action plan with concrete measures, while international cooperation between G7 partners and relevant actors is a priority. The EU Commission mentions its cooperation agreements with national regulators as a way to support and enforce its own Digital Services Act. The signers include the UK’s OfCom, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner. G7 digital ministers agreed to the principles during meetings in Paris, where online child safety, AI governance, cyber threats and the detection of AI-generated content were central themes.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/g7-backs-privacy-preserving-age-assurance-as-japan-proposes-social-media-access-limits/feed 0 344191 Digital company ID could save UK financial sector £1.7B: CFIT https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/digital-company-id-could-save-uk-financial-sector-1-7b-cfit https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/digital-company-id-could-save-uk-financial-sector-1-7b-cfit#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:50:19 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344255 A UK initiative to create a reusable digital identity credential for businesses could save financial institutions £1.7 billion (US$2.2 billion) by reducing the cost and complexity of Know Your Business (KYB) checks and onboarding. The government-backed industry body has completed a Proof of Concept for a Digital Company ID, a reusable digital credential that allows verified business information to be shared across institutions. The effort is supported by identity providers Yoti and OneID, which have helped develop and test the concept alongside banks, fintechs and industry participants. The initiative reflects a broader shift toward reusable organizational identity, allowing verified business information to be shared across institutions rather than repeatedly collected and verified during each onboarding process. "Through the digital company ID, [we developed] a trust and governance framework that was acceptable to both banks and the orchestration players that we could then hand to [the] government," Anna Wallace, CFIT chief executive and former FCA executive, told The Banker. At a recent CFIT roundtable, banks identified account opening as one of the highest-risk areas to pilot. On the demand side, roughly 80 percent of businesses surveyed by the organization said they would pay to use a digital company ID. The commercial structure, however, is still being worked out. “In terms of the commercial model, who pays and how it will be delivered is the big question and how we can support it to get to scale," says Wallace. She added that she anticipates “a big shift” on digital ID over the next 12 months, with major players considering deploying the capability. CFIT describes itself as a "neutral convener" focused on removing bottlenecks in financial services. Banks and industry participants have brought at least 25 projects to the organization, spanning smart data, AI and financial infrastructure modernization. A minimum viable product is expected to enter the FCA regulatory sandbox, where banks, identity providers and fintech partners will test whether reusable digital company credentials can reduce onboarding friction while maintaining compliance and trust. If successful, the initiative could become a foundation for broader organizational identity infrastructure across the UK financial sector.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/digital-company-id-could-save-uk-financial-sector-1-7b-cfit/feed 0 344255 Identity control plane emerges as next battleground for AI agents https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/identity-control-plane-emerges-as-next-battleground-for-ai-agents https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/identity-control-plane-emerges-as-next-battleground-for-ai-agents#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:31:37 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344253 As autonomous AI agents gain access to enterprise systems, a new identity challenge is emerging: understanding who an agent represents, what authority it has been delegated, and how its actions can be governed. A series of announcements from Ping Identity, Orchid Security and Palo Alto Networks illustrates how vendors are building the identity control plane for the agentic enterprise.

Ping Identity adds unified capabilities to Identity Platform

A release from Denver provider Ping Identity says “agents need trusted access to do useful work, but should not be given direct exposure to the secrets that make that access possible.” A new unified set of capabilities across the Ping Identity Platform aims to address this. AI-first, machine-friendly headless interfaces and skills make enterprise identity programmable through MCP, CLI, APIs, and agent-ready workflows. Agent discovery, governance and auditability bring human accountability to AI agents, providing visibility into which agents exist, what they can access, how they operate, and who is accountable for their actions. And privileged just-in-time access to enterprise resources for coding agents, AI assistants, and other desktop agents is designed to prevent secrets from being exposed to agents, reduce standing privilege, and attribute code commits to agents. “AI agents are fundamentally changing how enterprise systems operate,” says Andre Durand, CEO of Ping Identity. “As enterprises make applications consumable by AI agents, Ping is making identity programmable, agents visible and governable, and resource access trustworthy. Identity is evolving from authentication infrastructure into operational governance infrastructure for the agentic enterprise.”

Orchid transforms agents from dark matter into trusted teammates

Orchid Security’s major extension to its Identity Control Plane introduces three new capabilities. According to a release, Agentic Enrichment maps and enriches AI agents with their originating identities, owners, applications, permissions, and business context to understand who or what they represent, and what authority they inherit. Agentic Observability continuously monitors AI agents across their access, authorization paths, activity, and full chain of delegation to understand what they can do, what they are doing, and whether intent aligns with expected behavior. And Agentic Guardrails enforce application AI-readiness by eliminating Identity Dark Matter – “the unseen and unmanaged identity layer that already represents 57 percent of enterprise identity” – applying least privilege, and strengthening identity hygiene to keep agent actions within their defined bounds, context, and intent in real-time. “AI agents are not just new identities, they are delegated identities,” says Roy Katmor, CEO of Orchid Security. “If you can’t see the delegation chain, you can’t govern the agent. By pairing every agent with its originating identity and enforcing dynamic guardrails in real time, we’re enabling enterprises to scale AI safely, turning agents into trusted teammates rather than unmanaged dark matter.”

Portkey secures AI Gateway for Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma AIRS

Palo Alto Networks’ acquisition of Portkey establishes it as the core AI Gateway for the Prisma AIRS platform, as the firm aims to bridge the trust gap created by autonomous agents. A release says an AI Gateway “acts as the central nervous system for all AI traffic,” and delivers “the essential capability to monitor, orchestrate, and govern agent interactions, helping ensure that every request is routed to the best model for the job.” It also monitors token usage to manage costs, and provides a layer of runtime protection to help stop malicious or unintended AI behavior in real-time. Taken together, the announcements illustrate a broader shift in enterprise identity. As AI agents move from experimental tools to active participants in business processes, identity platforms are evolving beyond authentication and access management toward continuous governance, delegated authority and operational trust. The emerging challenge is no longer simply verifying identities, but managing what autonomous systems are authorized to do on behalf of people and organizations.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/identity-control-plane-emerges-as-next-battleground-for-ai-agents/feed 0 344253 Neurotechnology expands into US with private AI infrastructure offering https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/neurotechnology-expands-into-us-with-private-ai-infrastructure-offering https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/neurotechnology-expands-into-us-with-private-ai-infrastructure-offering#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:22:35 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344243 European deep learning developer and biometric software provider Neurotechnology is establishing a new U.S.-based entity focused on private AI infrastructure and localized control of sensitive biometric data. Neurotechnology Solutions LLC is positioning dedicated, isolated AI infrastructure as an alternative to public cloud platforms for regulated sectors such as healthcare, finance, defense and government. The firm will offer private AI environments that run on client-owned hardware or dedicated, isolated GPUs. Newly appointed manager Ken Nosker said the expansion is focused primarily on data sovereignty,  "We are bringing Neurotechnology's experience with neural networks, machine learning and artificial intelligence directly to the U.S. market with a primary focus on data sovereignty." The company is targeting government, critical infrastructure, research and enterprise clients handling sensitive identity and biometric workloads. The company says its biometric technologies, which have been used in components of India’s Aadhaar ecosystem, can support customer onboarding, fraud prevention, law enforcement and workforce management. Neurotechnology has performed strongly in multiple NIST biometric evaluations, including recent IREX 10 and FRIF testing. The move reflects broader concerns around data sovereignty, AI governance and control of sensitive biometric workloads as organizations reassess dependence on public cloud infrastructure.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/neurotechnology-expands-into-us-with-private-ai-infrastructure-offering/feed 0 344243 Security Exhibition & Conference https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/security-exhibition-conference-3 https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/security-exhibition-conference-3#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:51:44 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344202 Security Exhibition & Conference Sydney, Australia September 2-4, 2026 Now in its 40th year, Security Exhibition & Conference has been Australia’s leading platform dedicated to keeping our communities safe. The event brings together the full spectrum of security professionals and end users to connect and source essential solutions to meet modern security challenges and shares insights via the renowned Security ASIAL Conference. Security is co-located with Fire Security Expo and Integrate, creating a comprehensive industry experience across connected sectors. With 150+ exhibitors confirmed and the floor plan sold out, with additional space added, the expo brings together brands from across the full security ecosystem, in both physical and electronic domains. The Security ASIAL Conference program examines how organisations can strengthen operational resilience while remaining agile and future focused. Sessions explore practical strategies to build adaptive capability, integrate risk intelligence, leverage emerging technology and cultivate leadership that thrives in uncertainty. The content is case-study driven and practitioner-led, not sales-led. To find out more about the event and to register visit securityexpo.com.au.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/security-exhibition-conference-3/feed 0 344202 US DoJ ‘Model Cities’ initiative links policing technology to federal enforcement priorities https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/us-doj-model-cities-initiative-links-policing-technology-to-federal-enforcement-priorities https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/us-doj-model-cities-initiative-links-policing-technology-to-federal-enforcement-priorities#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:41:43 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344270 The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DoJ) Model Cities Initiative (MCI) announced Thursday is framed as a public safety grant program, but its nearly $300 million in funding appears aimed at something more politically consequential. The MCI grant framework suggests DoJ is seeking jurisdictions willing to embrace the Trump administration’s surveillance-heavy law-and-order agenda, centered on proactive policing, expanded surveillance technologies, immigration enforcement coordination and public-order crackdowns. DoJ describes the program as a “whole-of-city” approach that is aimed at restoring law and order and supporting comprehensive “common sense” policing and public safety strategies. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said “the Model Cities Initiative will supercharge our law enforcement partners and restore the rule of law to America’s neighborhoods, towns, and cities. Our message is clear: We will help those who help us Make America Safe Again.” DoJ has not yet publicly detailed all the privacy, civil liberties, auditing, retention, and transparency requirements that will apply to the technologies funded through the program. Those details will determine whether the initiative functions primarily as a targeted crime-reduction grant or becomes a major federal accelerator for local surveillance infrastructure. The initiative is expected to select two to four cities for awards, with funding intended to support crime reduction efforts and strengthen law enforcement operations. Applications are due September 1. While the grant document does not explicitly say whether Republican-led or Democratic-led jurisdictions will be favored, its rhetoric, eligibility conditions, and review structure strongly suggest that cities aligned with the Trump administration’s law-and-order agenda will be better positioned than jurisdictions that have emphasized limits on police, restrictions on surveillance, immigrant sanctuary policies, or broader social-service-first approaches. The MCI document frames recent crime and disorder as the result of policies that “weakened and demoralized law enforcement,” “limited the prosecution of crimes,” and “de-emphasized holding criminals accountable,” language closely aligned with the administration’s criticism of Democratic-led jurisdictions. It also points to federal law enforcement surges in Memphis and Washington, D.C. as examples of successful intervention models. Together, the provisions suggest DoJ is asking applicants to align with a governing model centered on proactive policing, stronger enforcement, expanded intelligence gathering and close coordination with federal law enforcement. DoJ said “this initiative will provide substantial, targeted funding to select cities to realize this vision.” Funding, the department said, will emphasize “common sense policing,” including “prioritizing deterrence through proactive policing and increasing police activity in high-crime areas.” DoJ also said funding will encourage adoption of new technologies, “including drones and AI,” and modern methods to track criminal behavior and gather intelligence. The program’s formal priorities sharpen that point. DoJ says applicants must align their initiatives with department priorities that include directly supporting law enforcement operations, including immigration law enforcement operations; combating violent crime; and enforcing prohibitions on open illicit drug use. Other DoJ priorities include enforcing prohibitions on urban camping and loitering; enforcing prohibitions on urban squatting; and, where necessary, adopting standards for assisted outpatient treatment, civil commitment or placement in treatment centers for certain people with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, or homelessness. Applicants must be local government entities serving populations of at least 100,000 and agree to work closely with DoJ in developing and implementing projects. Applications also require certifications tied to federal immigration information-sharing rules and DoJ review of partner entities and stakeholders. The grant conditions go even further. The document says certain activities are outside the scope of the program and will not be funded. These include any program or activity DoJ says violates or facilitates violation of federal immigration law or impedes or hinders enforcement of federal immigration law, including by failing to comply with giving access to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents or honoring DHS requests and providing requested notice to DHS agents. That language is one of the clearest indicators of how the program may function in practice. The initiative does not explicitly favor Republican-led jurisdictions, but its conditions and enforcement requirements may disadvantage sanctuary jurisdictions or cities that have imposed limits on police surveillance and immigration cooperation. By conditioning eligibility and allowable activities around cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and the administration’s public-order priorities, it creates a policy screen that may disadvantage cities whose leaders have adopted limits on local participation in immigration enforcement or resisted federal law enforcement surges. The application structure also gives DoJ significant discretion. MCI awards will be issued through cooperative agreements rather than traditional grants, allowing the department “substantial involvement” in implementation. Applicants must commit to working closely with DoJ throughout the project, and finalists will be selected partly on “overall alignment” with MCI goals and objectives. Taken together, these provisions suggest the department is not simply scoring applications on crime rates or technical capacity but instead is looking for cities willing to become showcases for the administration’s model of public safety and the deployment of technology that historically has brought with it privacy and civil liberties concerns. Technology is central to the initiative. DoJ’s FY2026 materials show the program is designed in part to expand modern policing infrastructure, including AI systems, drones, body-worn cameras, license plate readers, forensic tools and integrated justice systems. Together, the technologies could allow participating agencies to expand video collection, automated vehicle tracking, forensic analysis, AI-assisted investigations and aerial surveillance capabilities. Privacy and civil liberties advocates are likely to focus on how data generated by those systems is collected, retained, shared across agencies and governed, particularly as DoJ has not yet publicly detailed auditing, transparency or oversight requirements tied to the program. The Model Cities Initiative therefore deserves attention not only because of its size, but because of what it appears designed to fund and reward. It is also signaling that the cities most likely to benefit will be those willing to adopt the administration’s preferred law-and-order framework.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/us-doj-model-cities-initiative-links-policing-technology-to-federal-enforcement-priorities/feed 0 344270 Madagascar completes 2.6M digital ID enrollments in two months https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/madagascar-completes-2-6m-digital-id-enrollments-in-two-months https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/madagascar-completes-2-6m-digital-id-enrollments-in-two-months#respond Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:27:28 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=344233 Madagascar has enrolled 2.6 million people into its digital identity system in just two months, surpassing the government’s target as the country accelerates deployment of its national digital public infrastructure. Madagascar launched a pilot of its digital identity infrastructure in January, with a target of enrolling two million people between April and June. Government figures reported by Copmad show the effort exceeded expectations, reaching 2.6 million registrations. The digital ID system is one of the key components of its ongoing Digital Governance and Identification Management System Project (PRODIGY), which has $143 million in World Bank funding. Behind the rollout, Laxton’s biometric registration kits and fingerprint scanners supported mass enrollment operations, while IN Groupe provided the database infrastructure powering the PRODIGY digital identity program. Digital public infrastructure expert Tariq Malik acknowledged both the speed of the rollout and the operational model behind it. In a LinkedIn post, he congratulated “the stellar Malagasy technical and operational teams driving this effort.” “Using nearly 2,500 multimodal biometric registration kits across the country, the teams are achieving around 10 minutes average enrollment time per person, including full biometric capture. In a country with difficult terrain, infrastructure constraints, connectivity gaps, and dispersed populations, this is an extraordinary operational accomplishment,” the former NADRA chairman wrote. He also highlighted the country’s “retroactive” civil registration framework which is making it possible for millions of previously undocumented people to access foundational documents that pave their way to a legal and digital identity. “This is what inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure should look like: identity linked with civil registration, legal inclusion before digital transactions, and technology serving people rather than screening them out,” Malik wrote. Malik noted that while the first 70 to 80 percent of a national identity rollout is largely a question of operational scale, the final stages are often the most challenging, requiring governments to reach remote, marginalized and previously undocumented populations.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202606/madagascar-completes-2-6m-digital-id-enrollments-in-two-months/feed 0 344233