Biometric Update https://www.biometricupdate.com Biometrics News, Companies and Explainers Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:05:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 66434804 Fourthline, Veridas merge to build global identity and compliance platform https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/fourthline-veridas-merge-to-build-global-identity-and-compliance-platform https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/fourthline-veridas-merge-to-build-global-identity-and-compliance-platform#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:00:31 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348771 European identity verification companies Fourthline, based in Amsterdam, and Veridas, headquartered in Spain, announced their planned merger Thursday, creating an end-to-end identity and compliance platform for regulated organizations across Europe, Latin America and the United States. Fourthline brings KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance orchestration, particularly across Northern and Central Europe. Veridas contributes proprietary identity verification, biometric authentication and anti-fraud technologies, together with an established presence in Southern Europe, Latin America and the United States. Together, the companies expect to complete approximately 115 million identity verifications in 2026 while operating across more than 50 countries. Both companies say they are profitable and EBITDA-positive. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Following completion, Veridas shareholders, including BBVA, will remain shareholders in the combined company. The transaction will also be partially funded by existing Fourthline investor Finch Capital and new investors, including Rabo Investments, the investment arm of Rabobank. The merger is expected to close during the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The companies plan to integrate their technologies gradually while continuing to support existing customers.

From point solutions to a broader identity platform

The strategic significance of the deal extends beyond geographic expansion. Regulated organizations have traditionally assembled their identity infrastructure using multiple providers. One vendor may perform document verification, another may provide facial biometrics, while separate systems handle AML screening, fraud detection, authentication and case management. The Fourthline-Veridas combination is positioned as an alternative: a single partner supporting identity verification, biometric authentication, fraud prevention, KYC and AML compliance across the customer lifecycle. According to the companies, the combined platform will include identity verification, AML screening and monitoring, qualified electronic signatures, bank account verification and biometric authentication. Customers will be able to deploy these capabilities independently or through an integrated, API-first architecture.

Why the companies are joining forces now

The merger comes as identity providers respond to several converging market forces: increasingly sophisticated fraud, expanding regulatory requirements across jurisdictions and growing customer demand for integrated identity platforms. Deepfakes, synthetic identities and other forms of AI-enabled fraud are making it more difficult for organizations to determine whether an applicant or returning customer is genuine. At the same time, regulated businesses must comply with evolving identity and financial crime requirements while delivering a seamless customer experience. The two companies believe their complementary technologies and regional footprints can help address those challenges while accelerating their respective product roadmaps. For Fourthline and Veridas, the merger is about more than increasing verification volumes. It reflects a broader shift in the identity verification market, where buyers are increasingly favoring integrated identity platforms over collections of point solutions. As AI-enabled fraud continues to evolve and regulatory expectations increase, that trend is likely to accelerate.

About Fourthline and Veridas

Founded in 2017, Fourthline specializes in AI-powered KYC and AML compliance for financial institutions, while Veridas provides proprietary identity verification, biometric and anti-fraud solutions to more than 350 customers across 25 countries.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/fourthline-veridas-merge-to-build-global-identity-and-compliance-platform/feed 0 348771 UK won’t ban VPNs, puts onus on platforms to prevent age check circumvention https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-wont-ban-vpns-puts-onus-on-platforms-to-prevent-age-check-circumvention https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-wont-ban-vpns-puts-onus-on-platforms-to-prevent-age-check-circumvention#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:45:06 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348762 UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has published an official statement outlining the government’s positions on children’s wellbeing and safety online, which includes online age assurance policies. The statement introduces the second part of the government’s response to its public consultation, “Growing up in the online world” – which Kendall says is “the next step in our commitment to fundamentally reset expectations of what is safe and suitable for children online while ensuring young people are equipped to thrive in the digital world.” New measures joining the social media age minimum announced in June include restrictions on time of use and persuasive design, new rules for AI chatbots, and a retort to critics who say biometric age assurance tools are easy to circumvent with virtual private networks (VPNs).

Night-night for social media

Kendall says the consultation results showed that nearly 1 in 3 children want help managing their screentime. In response, new regulations will require social media services to apply “sensible default protections for 16- and 17-year-olds.” “These will include default overnight restrictions, with alerts and push notifications muted during a curfew period of midnight to 6 a.m., and default restrictions at all times on persuasive features such as autoplay and personalised recommender feeds to reduce infinite scrolling and make it easier for teenagers to log off.” This is in keeping with global regulatory trends, which increasingly target the addictive design features of social media as a major problem, and look to steer the digital ship in the direction of privacy- and safety-by-design.

Therapy chatbots getting a closer look

The furor around AI chatbots has settled somewhat after apps like ChatGPT were linked to a rash of teen suicides. However, part of that has been regulators catching up with the technology. Kendall says the new rules prescribe regular breaks for chatbot use, and that work is ongoing to determine the intervals at which such breaks should be mandatory. The secretary is careful to toe the political and technological line in acknowledging the benefits chatbots can offer children. Nonetheless, emotional dependence on chatbots has become an issue for some – and, in some cases, had tragic consequences, when kids have turned to AI for therapeutic advice. As such, the government will work with the Department for Health and Social Care and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to “take stronger action on chatbots that may pose risks to children, through harmful, inaccurate or unverified mental health advice.” Moreover, “we will ensure the regulatory system for AI medical devices supports children to access trusted, evidence-based support. This will ensure that, where children seek medical advice, children and their parents can be sure it meets certain standards and is safe.”

On VPNs, Kendall agrees with AVPA – finally

With all the hand-wringing that has been done over circumvention and the issue of VPNs, it is mildly comical that Kendall has ultimately opted to listen to the age assurance sector, which has often pointed out that IP addresses are only one signal that contains data about the location of a user – and that, especially on social media, there are plenty of others that can easily be factored into a highly effective age check. “VPNs have legitimate privacy and security uses and we will therefore not age-gate or ban them,” says Kendall’s statement. “We have always been clear that some children will try to get around the new social media requirements. While it is not possible to entirely eliminate this, requiring the use of highly effective age assurance is one of the best ways to make a meaningful difference.” That now means there will be “an onus on platforms in scope of the new restrictions to take robust steps to detect and prevent attempts by underage users to circumvent age assurance measures.” To that end, Kendall has added to her request that Ofcom report by October on what highly effective age assurance looks like for determining whether someone is over 16, with a new request that Ofcom report on “what more services can do to detect and prevent VPN use on their platforms.” This move, while welcome, may also have the age assurance industry wondering why it wasn’t listened to in the first place: the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA)’s position has always been that the possibility of circumvention does not nullify the law. It labels the idea that VPNs exist, any age assurance system will fail “the VPN fallacy.” Which is to say, just because you can quite easily stab someone, that’s no reason to legalize stabbing. Rather, it is on those governed by the law to follow it, on the governing to enforce it, and, in this case, on platforms covered by age assurance laws to do everything they can to comply. (Metaphorically, not selling knives to children.) Per AVPA’s website, VPNs are not kryptonite to age assurance. “In practice, there are ways to detect and address circumvention and there is no need to even consider banning VPNs outright.” “Digital services using age assurance to remain compliant, can do so by detecting VPN use, assessing risk using behavioural clues, and giving flagged users the option to verify their age or prove their location.”

Now is the teachable moment for online literacy

Finally, and also in keeping with emerging global models for child online safety, the UK is pledging to increase support for digital literacy. “Online safety is a critical component of Relationships, Sex and Health Education where the curriculum has already been strengthened for the next school year,” Kendall says, noting that the government is also dedicated to “supporting children and young people beyond the classroom through youth organisations, libraries, community groups and civil society partners.” On this file, new proposals are on the way. Kendall floats the idea of developing age-appropriate guidance for parents and children on “recognizing positive content, using trusted sources and navigating online spaces safely.” It may publish best practice principles for industry on the availability, discovery and visibility of high-quality content for children. And it will “further develop the Kids Online Safety Hub as the government’s principal source of trusted guidance and practical support.” “We are now moving at pace to implement our proposals, with the first regulations on the ban to be laid before the end of the year and coming into effect in early 2027,” Kendall says. “The government is clear that this is not the end of the story, and that we will not hesitate to take further measures where needed to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing, while enabling them to benefit from the opportunities that digital technologies provide, so that every child gets the best start in life.”]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-wont-ban-vpns-puts-onus-on-platforms-to-prevent-age-check-circumvention/feed 0 348762 EAB previews biometric injection attack detection standardization developments https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/eab-previews-biometric-injection-attack-detection-standardization-developments https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/eab-previews-biometric-injection-attack-detection-standardization-developments#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:41:48 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348754 The European Association for Biometrics (EAB) is shaping up formal standards for ways to detect and classify biometric injection attacks, as the industry gets serious on its approaches to emerging threats to biometric systems. Experts within the Association say work is under way to create a standardized methodology that can level‑set biometric capture environments and provide a common framework for assessing vulnerabilities. Under discussion is a minimum, internationally recognized list of injection attack methods (IAMs). This would give vendors and regulators the same technical language when evaluating risk. Things are moving to an ISO standard, in keeping with the methodology and approach of the EU’s CEN/TS 18099 standard, which is the only currently-operational formal technical specification that proves injection attack resilience. The ISO/IEC 25456 is an international standard for IAD currently in development based on the European standard. The EAB says the new standard is likely to have a weighting approach in measuring the complexity of attack, with different levels. For example, low and simple to increasingly higher-scored for more difficult-to-detect and hard-to-block attacks. The effort builds on early work by Germany’s federal cybersecurity agency, BSI, with the agency and the EAB examining injection attacks in 2021 — well before the biometric industry fully understood their implications. Injection attacks, whether in the form of replay attacks, device emulators or API manipulation are on pace to total more than 4 billion attacks by 2028, as forecast in the 2026 Injection Attack Detection Market Report and Buyers Guide from Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence. The standards push comes as the industry draws more nuanced distinctions between different types of biometric threats. The relation between “presentation attacks,” “spoofing” and injection attacks is one example of increasing market maturity, as discussed by representatives from IAD providers and testing practitioners in a recent webinar from Biometric Update. The distinctions are important. Presentation attacks are generally manual and low‑scale. Injection attacks, EAB experts warn, are far more scalable because once an attacker can push manipulated data into a system, they can repeat the process at volume. Border control systems and other tightly secured capture environments are generally more resistant to presentation attacks, but their increasing reliance on digital transmission channels could make them more exposed to injection‑based threats. Varying risk profiles are driving demand for clearer standards and shared terminology. The EAB says standardization will help the industry better protect biometric systems by ensuring all attack surfaces are addressed and by giving regulators and vendors a common baseline for testing and certification.

Explainability and a strategic framework for harmonization

EAB experts expect explainability to become a requirement for detecting deepfakes and injection attacks in biometric systems. It’s related to the EU’s regulations on explainable AI.  Vendors will likely need to disclose the security methods they use, particularly as standards bodies tighten testing obligations. A “Practical AI Act Guide” from the Applied AI Institute for Europe can help vendors wrap their heads around explainability, which can aid compliance with regulation as well as provide insights into a system’s decision-making process. This is perhaps a more general guide but the explainability techniques should inform what could be required regarding biometric systems as compliance measures are still being mapped. Under ETSI EN 119 461, injection attack detection already requires mandatory testing and documented evidence. The standard goes beyond traditional presentation attack detection by explicitly covering injection attack scenarios. Scenarios under ETSI 119 461 v2.1.1 include face-to-face identification, real-time remote assisted identification and unattended remote identification. Improved user experience, harmonized practices and fraud prevention are key aspects of the ETSI. It is a strategic framework as much as it is about technical requirements. On device‑level security, experts say cryptographic attestation at the camera‑firmware level is technically possible but unlikely to become mandatory soon. Many consumer cameras — whether webcams or embedded sensors — remain accessible and unprotected, and market demand rather than regulation is expected to drive adoption. Software‑based behavioral analysis may help detect man‑in‑the‑middle injections, but hardware protections are not yet seen as a near‑term requirement. Generally, the approach of “security by design” is seen as essential. Any modern biometric system should account for injection attack risks from the outset.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/eab-previews-biometric-injection-attack-detection-standardization-developments/feed 0 348754 Malta launches €15.6M tender for European Digital Identity Wallet https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/malta-launches-e15-6m-tender-for-european-digital-identity-wallet https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/malta-launches-e15-6m-tender-for-european-digital-identity-wallet#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:30:20 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348645 The Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) has issued a tender for the implementation of a fully compliant European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. The tender launches Malta’s rollout of the EU‑wide digital identity framework. Citizens and residents will be able to prove their identity securely online and in person, verify their age, store official documents such as driving licenses and electronically sign paperwork. The wallet will be recognized across all EU member states. MDIA will lead the project, overseeing development of the wallet platform and the supporting systems. The contract — valued at €15.6 million (US$17.88 million) — is being procured through Malta’s electronic Public Procurement System (ePPS) under an open procedure. The vendor must ensure security, interoperability and alignment with the EU’s common architecture. Malta’s Digital Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said the initiative reflects Malta’s commitment to using advanced technologies to improve public services and strengthen the country’s digital capabilities. MDIA chief executive Kenneth Brincat commented: “This project is a tangible example of how innovative technology can be used to create services that are more secure, trustworthy and focused on the needs of citizens.” The tender — CT2274/2026 — covers software development, systems integration and the creation of a supporting trust ecosystem. It remains open for submissions until 3 September, with evaluation based on a best price‑quality ratio. The Mala Information Technology Agency (MITA) also published a tender seeking online identity verification software, which will be integrated into its government authentication service, a few weeks ago. The estimated contract value is €310,000 ($355,300) excluding VAT, and the deadline for submissions is July 22 at 11:30 am. MITA is responsible for implementing state IT programs, including developing the infrastructure for the national electronic identification (eID) system, which is managed by Identità. Separately, Malta awarded a contract to Toppan Security covering maintenance and support of biometric self-service kiosks used by the Residency Malta Agency.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/malta-launches-e15-6m-tender-for-european-digital-identity-wallet/feed 0 348645 Congress targets underage betting with facial age estimation bill https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/congress-targets-underage-betting-with-facial-age-estimation-bill https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/congress-targets-underage-betting-with-facial-age-estimation-bill#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:27:12 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348723 Online sportsbooks and prediction markets would have to analyze a user’s face to estimate whether the person is old enough to gamble under bipartisan legislation introduced Wednesday in the U.S. House. The Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act would require an age check either when a user logs into a platform or before the user places a wager or trades an event contract. The measure is aimed at children who gain access to accounts belonging to parents, siblings, or other adults after those accounts have already passed conventional identity checks. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, introduced the bill with eight cosponsors, including Republican Reps. Jeff Van Drew, Nick LaLota, and Bruce Westerman. Democratic cosponsors are Kristen McDonald Rivet, Jimmy Panetta, Darren Soto, Tom Suozzi, and Ritchie Torres. In May, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform opened an inquiry into Polymarket and Kalshi, pressing the two prediction market companies for records on identity verification, geographic restrictions, suspicious trading, and the handling of markets tied to military operations, geopolitical events, and political contests. Despite the name of the new legislation, the technology described by Gottheimer’s office is more accurately called facial age estimation than facial recognition. The proposed system would examine facial structure and patterns to estimate the user’s age. Gottheimer’s office said the technology would not store the person’s identity or personal biometric information. The distinction matters because online sportsbooks already verify information about an account holder and use geolocation systems to determine whether a wager is being placed in a jurisdiction where the platform may operate. Those controls do not necessarily establish that the person holding the phone during a later session is the adult who opened the account. Gottheimer said a child can therefore enter a parent’s, older sibling’s, or friend’s account and place a bet without another verification step. “We’re asking our kids to self-police their way past a system built entirely on the honor code,” Gottheimer said. “A kid can log into a parent’s, an older sibling’s, or a friend’s account and place a bet with no verification at all. Nobody checks. That’s it. That’s the whole system. We wouldn’t accept that at a casino in Las Vegas. We shouldn’t accept it on the phone in our kid’s back pocket.” “Prediction markets are becoming more popular, and we need to be realistic about the risks that can come with that for our children,” said Rep. Van Drew. “Kids should not be able to get onto these platforms and start placing bets. This bill puts another protection in place to help stop that from happening and gives parents some added peace of mind.” The requirement would also extend to prediction markets, which allow customers to trade contracts based on the outcome of elections, economic reports, sporting events, and other developments. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour joined Gottheimer when the bill was announced and said the company already uses measures intended to keep minors off its platform. Kalshi supports making those protections an industrywide standard. The proposal comes amid growing concern about the accessibility of gambling through phones. Gottheimer’s office cited research that 36 percent of boys between 11 and 17 had participated in gambling or a gambling-related activity during the previous year. The rate rose to 40 percent among boys between 14 and 17, while more than one-quarter of those who gambled reported stress, family conflict, or problems at school. The sponsors also pointed to more than 80 reports of underage betting sent to Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation. Tennessee sportsbooks flagged more than 400 underage accounts in 2024, compared with roughly 100 a year earlier, according to Gottheimer’s office. Facial age estimation would add a new barrier, but the effectiveness of the requirement would depend on standards that were not described in the announcement. The sponsors did not explain what level of accuracy platforms would have to achieve, how they would handle users whose estimated age falls close to the legal threshold, or whether a person rejected by the system could use another method. The public description also did not identify requirements for detecting photographs, recorded videos, or synthetic faces presented to the camera. The privacy claim will similarly depend on how the technology is implemented. A system may avoid storing a user’s identity while still capturing and processing a facial image. The practical protection would turn on whether processing occurs on the user’s device or on a company’s servers, how long images are retained, and whether information is shared with a technology provider. The bill would nevertheless move online gambling beyond the one-time verification of an account holder. It would require platforms to evaluate the person attempting to use the account, potentially making it more difficult for a child to place wagers through an adult’s saved credentials. Whether that protection works without blocking lawful users or creating a new stream of biometric data will depend on technical and enforcement provisions that have not yet been publicly explained.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/congress-targets-underage-betting-with-facial-age-estimation-bill/feed 0 348723 India aims for next‑gen governance reforms as AI and DPI reshape the state https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/india-aims-for-next-gen-governance-reforms-as-ai-and-dpi-reshape-the-state https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/india-aims-for-next-gen-governance-reforms-as-ai-and-dpi-reshape-the-state#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:26:34 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348741 India is looking to overhaul governance as a senior minister says the country is moving into “next‑generation” administrative and e‑governance reforms powered by AI, cybersecurity and digital public infrastructure. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said India has already removed nearly 2,000 obsolete rules over the past decade and must now build a technology‑driven governance ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, which aims to make India a developed country by 2047. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a “Reform Express” to accelerate modernization across government. Governance has undergone a major shift under Modi, Singh said, one that’s marked by transparency, accountability and digital empowerment. Governance and transparency have been cited as key by The Cyber Threat Observatory at the Turing Institute. AI is being threaded with DPI but AI is also boosting threats, the non-profit has warned. A number of recent workshops explored the risks and emerging vulnerabilities as expanding DPI and digital ID increase attack surfaces. The Union Minister was speaking in Shillong at the inauguration of a two‑day National Conference on NextGen Administrative and e‑Governance Reforms. Singh pointed to the expansion of Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar‑enabled services, Direct Benefit Transfer and the Unified Payments Interface, which now processes more than 18 billion transactions a month. The transformation of the CPGRAMS grievance‑redress platform was highlighted, as it has grown from 200,000 complaints in 2014 to nearly 2.5 million annually. The system now uses AI‑powered multilingual chatbots while retaining human review at the final stage to ensure “efficiency and empathy.” The Minister also cited innovations such as facial‑recognition‑based Digital Life Certificates, e‑Office, Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore and the National e‑Services Delivery Assessment as examples of reforms that have strengthened last‑mile delivery. Singh said outdated procedures persisted for decades simply because they were never revisited, and stressed that governance reform requires both digital tools and a shift in administrative mindset. “Technology is advancing rapidly, but our thinking must evolve at the same pace,” he said. Singh urged states and Union Territories to adopt each other’s best practices and said the next wave of reforms must focus on AI‑enabled administration, integrated digital citizen services, cybersecurity, evidence‑based policymaking and resilient institutions. India is taking a somewhat cautious approach to AI regulation, unveiling AI Governance Guidelines late last year. It emphasizes trust, equity and innovation while Modi has called for a global compact on AI on the world stage.

The case for a national digital trust framework

India’s digital economy needs a National Digital Trust Framework because the country’s current approach treats identity as a collection of documents rather than a continuous, institution‑verified trust record. That’s the claim put forward in a recent piece in The Economic Times. The article argues that every institution creates only a fragment of a person’s identity. These fragments do not move between institutions, forcing citizens to repeatedly submit documents that only represent trust already established elsewhere. This paper‑age model creates inefficiency, high costs and growing security risks, especially as generative AI makes forged documents and synthetic identities easier to produce. A National Trust Framework would allow verified institutional assertions to travel securely across sectors, turning trust into a reusable digital asset. Instead of moving data, India would move institutional trust. The piece emphasizes that identity is not created by documents like Aadhaar or passports — these only certify that trust has already been lawfully established. The challenge is synchronizing trust across institutions, not synchronizing documents. The article places the change within India’s broader digital governance evolution, where digital trust is becoming the foundation for secure, inclusive e‑governance. It argues that trust is the requirement for India’s next phase of digital public infrastructure, supported by strong cybersecurity, privacy protections and accountability.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/india-aims-for-next-gen-governance-reforms-as-ai-and-dpi-reshape-the-state/feed 0 348741 Entrust launches AI agent trust program as ITU develops identity frameworks https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/entrust-launches-ai-agent-trust-program-as-itu-develops-identity-frameworks https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/entrust-launches-ai-agent-trust-program-as-itu-develops-identity-frameworks#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:18:51 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348733 Entrust has launched the Agentic AI Trust Accelerator to help enterprises move autonomous AI agents from pilot projects into production environments. The program focuses on the identity, authorization, and cryptographic controls that will determine who an agent represents, what it is allowed to do, and how its actions can be verified. In a separate initiative around agentic AI, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has created a new focus group on trust and identity to develop frameworks for digital identity and assess if AI agent behavior remains accountable throughout the agent lifecycle.

Entrust proposes a “trust plane” for autonomous AI

The Agentic AI Trust Accelerator program is open to selected enterprise customers, financial institutions, cloud and SaaS providers, systems integrators and other technology partners. These participants will identify practical use cases, validate reference architectures and develop controls for AI agents operating across applications, business processes and organizational boundaries. “Enterprises need to be able to trust autonomous actions across business processes, partners, and systems. Whether organizations are experimenting with AI agents, deploying initial use cases, or preparing for broader adoption, they need a trust foundation that can scale with them,” says Anudeep Parhar, COO for digital infrastructure at Entrust. The company describes the proposed initiative as a “trust plane” for autonomous AI. The concept is organized around four areas: identity, authorization, cryptographic trust, and accountability. Entrust says both the human and the AI agent should have verifiable identities to allow an action to be traced back to a confirmed person and a unique agent. Entrust proposes authorization through checking permissions in real time so that an agent can act within approved policies and roles. These AI agents often need credentials to authenticate themselves to applications and APIs. Entrust plans to protect the keys, certificates, and signing capabilities used in those interactions. Entrust also wants to create cryptographically verifiable records of agent actions that could be reviewed by internal risk teams, customers, or even regulators. The accelerator will explore how those technologies can be applied when autonomous agents operate across multiple applications, partners, and enterprise systems. “The goal is to control AI agents, but to operate with confidence that they are appropriately authorized, governed, and acting within established business, security, and regulatory boundaries,” says Emanuel Figueroa, senior research analyst for Identity Security, Worldwide at IDC.

ITU forms a focus group to work on agent identity and trust standards

There is a growing risk that AI agents will impersonate people or organizations to commit unauthorized actions and operate across connected systems without sufficient human oversight. “As AI becomes more autonomous, we need to work together across industry, governments, academia and civil society to ensure the greatest possible confidence in AI systems,” says Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary general at ITU. A key aspect of the focus group is the differentiation between identity and trustworthiness. Identity establishes which person, organization, or AI agent is acting. For example, it answers questions such as which agent initiated a transaction, which organization deployed it, and which human principal it represents. But trustworthiness addresses a different question of whether that actor can be expected to behave within approved business and regulatory boundaries. The group also plans to develop reference architectures to cover identity, trust, agent discovery, and interoperability. They will also examine interoperability mechanisms for digital identities and credentials. In addition, the ITU wants to develop security criteria and benchmarks for the continuous assessment of AI agents. This will allow organizations to evaluate if an AI agent is still operating within its approved role and if intervention is required. “Before that future becomes reality, we need common international foundations that establish who these agents are, when they can be trusted, and how people will remain in control. That is the challenge this Focus Group has been created to address,” says Debora Comparin, co-chairman of the Focus Group. The focus group will report to ITU-T Study Group 17. Its first meeting is scheduled for November 2026 in Paris, followed by a second meeting in Geneva in January 2027.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/entrust-launches-ai-agent-trust-program-as-itu-develops-identity-frameworks/feed 0 348733 As Canada’s digital ecosystem matures, trust is becoming economic infrastructure https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/as-canadas-digital-ecosystem-matures-trust-is-becoming-economic-infrastructure https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/as-canadas-digital-ecosystem-matures-trust-is-becoming-economic-infrastructure#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:52:46 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348714 If data is the currency of the twenty-first century, the true measure of value is trust. So says new evidence from Canada, where, according to an opinion piece in the Financial Post, digital adoption continues apace – but Canadians being much more careful about who gets access to their personal information. “Increasingly, they are asking difficult questions,” says the op-ed by Francois Guay of the Canadian Cybersecurity Network. “What data is being collected? Why is it necessary? Who will have access to it? How long will it be retained? Can it be protected?” The result is a market that runs on trust, rather than innovation or technology: “the next phase of digital transformation will not be determined solely by who builds the best technology. It will increasingly be determined by who earns the greatest trust.” That has implications for businesses who seek fraud protection, security tools and other technology that requires them to ask for more information from their customers. “The very measures intended to build confidence may be producing the opposite result,” says the report, “creating greater friction, lower participation and declining trust.” The numbers tell the story. Research from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada shows nearly nine in ten Canadians are concerned about protecting their privacy online. Approximately 78 percent report refusing to provide personal information to an organization because of privacy concerns. Data from the Digital Identity and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) shows more than 90 percent want greater control over their personal information.

Digital literacy makes trust more potent

The shift is not simply a matter of digital paranoia. Rather, it signifies a re-weighting of ownership in Canadians’ concept of personal data. As the risks and harms of the internet have revealed themselves over time, user habits have evolved so that the impulse to share data whenever prompted is now checked with caution. In a sense, this is the desired outcome of what is often called digital literacy: a populace that demands legitimacy from the online ecosystem, and rejects what it finds suspicious or untrustworthy. Or, in other words, is firm in asking, why do you need my data, what do you intend to do with it, and how do you keep it safe? The piece quotes Joni Brennan, president of the DIACC, who says the market will favor those who prove they can be trusted up front. “Trust isn’t a communications problem that can be solved after launch. When digital trust and identity solutions are practical, transparent and independently certified against standards, adoption pairs with utility,” Brennan says. Brennan recently appeared on the Fime podcast to discuss Canada’s memorandum of understanding with the EU on digital ID, and why interoperability means more than just technical compatibility, but also alignment on policy and mutual trust.

Technology enables participation but trust determines user choice

Francois Guay concurs that trust is not a matter of clever marketing, but the plate that holds the entire layer cake. “Security, privacy, transparency, usability and confidence are not competing priorities from the user’s perspective,” he writes. “They are inseparable.” Usability is another foundational layer – on both sides of the transactional divide. While strong identity verification is equated with trust, too much of it, deployed clumsily, can add friction that erodes trust. Guay cites research on customer onboarding and identity verification which “has found that approximately one in five users abandon account creation because the process becomes too complicated.” “Financial institutions have reported onboarding abandonment rates approaching 60 per cent in some circumstances, while e-commerce shopping cart abandonment routinely exceeds 70 per cent.” The cumulative evidence, he says, “suggests many organizations underestimate the impact that complexity and confidence have on participation.” That means that the debate around digital identity may be focused on the wrong question. Most discussions, Guay says, continue to focus on how organizations can collect enough information to establish identity with confidence. “The more important question is how organizations can establish trust while collecting less information.” Or, how to collect information better. “For years, digital transformation has been measured by how effectively organizations moved services online,” he writes. “The next phase will be measured very differently. Success will increasingly depend on whether organizations can build systems that people understand, trust and confidently choose to use.” Customer demand will thus push organizations to recognize trust as a strategic asset – and trust will increasingly become economic infrastructure.

Interac serves as home-grown example

As an example of how Canada might lead in developing trust as part of its economic strategy, Guay points to Interac – the banking system that powers debit card payments in Canada. “Millions of Canadians use Interac every day to move money, verify transactions and access financial services,” he says. “Most users rarely think about the underlying infrastructure because trust has already been established within the system. They are not repeatedly asked to provide extensive personal information every time they complete a transaction. Confidence has effectively been embedded into the experience.” Beyond Canada, technologies are being developed to facilitate a replacement of data sharing with digital proofs. Verifiable credentials, privacy preserving identity systems and decentralized identity networks allow for selective disclosure and more sovereignty over user data. “Although these technologies remain in relatively early stages of adoption,” Guay says, “they all share a common principle: verify more while collecting less.”

Five-person commission will be ‘digital super-regulator’

Guay believes Canada has an opportunity to take advantage of the emergent trust economy. “The country possesses respected financial institutions, strong privacy traditions, internationally recognized expertise in digital identity and an expanding ecosystem focused on digital trust,” he says. “If those strengths can be combined with approaches that prioritize transparency, interoperability, independent standards and collecting only the minimum information necessary, Canada can become a global leader in what may emerge as the trust economy.” Part of that will involve regulation – and plans are afoot to create a new federal regulatory body   overseeing online safety and privacy rules, and handling enforcement. A report from Global News notes the Liberal government’s recent introduction of two major pieces of tech policy legislation, which will need managing: Bill C-34, which focuses on digital safety for social media and AI chatbots, and Bill C-36, which focuses on privacy and data handling. The new commission of five will be tasked with making decisions on certain online safety issues, including rules around online age assurance for age-restricted products and services. It will have “authority to issue binding orders to organizations and levy fines of up to $10 million or three per cent of the organization’s gross global revenue. For the most serious offences, such as when companies obstruct the commission’s work, the fines can go up to $25 million or five per cent of global revenue.” The commission is expected to take roughly 18 months to set up. Michael Geist, a frequent critic of online safety laws, says the commission will be a “digital super-regulator” with “astonishing powers that may be unmatched anywhere in the democratic world.” That is sure to be untrue in practice. However, Heidi Tworek, a professor of history and public policy at the University of British Columbia, points out that Canada’s plan does differ from examples elsewhere, by giving the new body dual responsibilities – and taking certain powers away from the privacy commissioner. “In other places we see a separation of the privacy regulator and the online safety regulator,” she says. The government says having one commission for both digital safety and privacy legislation is intended to “give Canadians who are engaging with private-sector companies a single entity focused on issues like children’s safety and data.”]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/as-canadas-digital-ecosystem-matures-trust-is-becoming-economic-infrastructure/feed 0 348714 Mastercard, Identomat, TrueDoc pitch layered IDV to detect synthetic identity fraud https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/mastercard-identomat-truedoc-pitch-layered-idv-to-detect-synthetic-identity-fraud https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/mastercard-identomat-truedoc-pitch-layered-idv-to-detect-synthetic-identity-fraud#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:30:50 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348693 A popular marketing angle these days is to frame AI not as a replacement for human agency, but a collaborator. In the case of fraud, at least, that’s turning out to be wrong. According to the annual  AI Security Report 2026 from Check Point Research, fraud has become fully autonomous: per a release, “where it once helped attackers prepare, it now runs the operation.” “AI has crossed from development aid to live attack operator,” the research says. “It now does the hands-on work inside live intrusions, from China-nexus espionage campaigns to a criminal breach of multiple Mexican government agencies and has spread from nation states to ordinary cyber criminals.” AI can build malware and attack suites, and the tools fraudsters need to make it do so are already available. “Most actors favor jailbroken mainstream models over self-hosted ones,” the report says. The result is that an AI-enabled criminal tooling market has matured to the point that it has rendered virtual identity untrustworthy on a basic level. Synthetic identity fraud has become the biggest fraud threat facing financial institutions, necessitating tools that can verify an identity’s legitimacy beyond voice, face, documents and live video. Two other key findings from Check Point underline this need. First, “AI itself is an expanding attack surface” that may not always be able to separate instructions from other daya they process. Second, indirect prompt injection is on the rise: detections of longer malicious payloads more typical of content-borne and agentic attack paths rose roughly fivefold between March and May 2026.

Mastercard touts open finance as defense against synthetic identity

Clearly, AI fraud is a problem that needs urgent attention. An article from Mastercard explores how open finance can help prevent synthetic identity fraud in account opening. Open finance, the payments giant says, offers “stronger identity verification, richer contextual insights and faster ways to detect and mitigate fraud earlier.” “Permission-based data sharing gives organizations a sharper view of account behavior and identity signals, helping them spot synthetic identities and other fraud attempts earlier,” the post says. “Open finance data can power AI cybersecurity tools to check whether the details a potential customer enters during onboarding – including name, address, email and phone number – match the records held by their bank. Following appropriate consumer permission and disclosure, account ownership verification and identity signal analysis can support faster checks with less customer friction.” The company points to better fraud protection and stronger customer relationships enjoyed by organizations that adopt open finance. A Mastercard survey shows that 60 percent of firms using the system can now generate real-time insights about risk and customer engagement.

‘Proven’ liveness detection means independent testing, validation

A blog post from Identomat makes the case for liveness detection as a key tool for reducing synthetic identity risk in digital onboarding. The post lays out the problems with traditional document verification for onboarding. Fraudsters can use real data in synthetic identities, which can pass authenticity checks. “Document verification does not confirm live presence,” it says. And “weak biometric implementations can be bypassed using deepfake selfies or pre-recorded videos.” By shifting verification from static validation to real-time proof of presence, liveness detection ensures someone real is performing the verification. But how can one be sure a liveness detection tool will do what it’s supposed to? In other words, if a vendor claims they have a “proven” solution, what constitutes the proof? Proven results, Identomat says, are based on “measurable performance under realistic attack conditions.” That means independent testing and validation by third-party laboratories using standardized benchmarks on metrics like False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR). Attack simulations must be comprehensive across presentation attacks such as printed photos, screen replays, and 3D masks, and systems should be tested against synthetic video and face generation techniques enabled by generative AI. Identomat notes that in the field of biometric liveness detection, “one of the most recognized benchmarks is iBeta Level 2 certification, which is typically achieved only by advanced providers capable of resisting sophisticated presentation attacks.” (Identomat’s biometric liveness detection is confirmed compliant at iBeta Level 2.) Anti-replay protection is also recommended as a test metric, and resistance to injection attacks is gaining importance. Overall, Identomat believes that liveness detection is a critical control, “but it is not a standalone solution. Its effectiveness increases significantly when integrated into a broader identity verification and risk framework.”

‘No single signal catches modern document fraud’: TrueDoc

The newly released 2026 Global Document Fraud Report from TrueDoc illustrates the extent of the fraud problem on the document side. Fifty percent of all fraud attempts involve forged or altered documents, and deepfakes have skyrocketed. Per the report, “in 2024, forged or altered documents became the most common identity fraud vector worldwide – and generative AI has turned what was once a careful manual craft into something that can be produced in seconds, at scale, for a few dollars.” TrueDoc identifies a larger shift happening in identity verification, wherein the question becomes less “is this the right person?,” and more “is this document real?” “In 2026, the second question is where the losses are, and answering it now requires layered forensic and AI-generation analysis.” And the losses are not small. The Deloitte Center for Financial Services projects U.S. losses from identity fraud to hit $40 billion by 2027.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/mastercard-identomat-truedoc-pitch-layered-idv-to-detect-synthetic-identity-fraud/feed 0 348693 UK ministers lay out strategy for government’s approach to digital inclusion https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-ministers-lay-out-strategy-for-governments-approach-to-digital-inclusion https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-ministers-lay-out-strategy-for-governments-approach-to-digital-inclusion#respond Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:15:34 +0000 https://www.biometricupdate.com/?p=348705 The UK’s Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion has updated the summary of its third meeting, as it aims to set strategic direction for the UK Government’s approach to digital inclusion and secure agreement on effective delivery approaches. Per its terms of reference, the Ministerial Group will “work to embed digital inclusion into policy design and delivery across the UK Government and existing governance structures, and will monitor and evaluate the delivery of key policies across government that contribute to digital inclusion, facilitated through reporting by official-level governance structures.” It will also serve as a forum for discussion, consultation and collaboration for government officials working on the inclusion file. It does not, however, have collective decision making power. The summary of its latest meeting, chaired by Baroness Lloyd of Effra, Minister for Digital Economy, notes that “ministers discussed the broad aims and key programmes across their departments that could support improved digital inclusion outcomes.” “Health, employment support, education, financial services and future digital ID services were highlighted as important routes through which people could be supported to get online and use digital services safely and confidently. Ministers highlighted the benefits of digital inclusion in improving access to healthcare, supporting disabled people to use assistive technology, and ensuring that emerging opportunities such as digital ID are inclusive from the outset.” Accessibility was recognized as a key enabler of digital inclusion, and ministers committed to meeting legal accessibility standards to this effect. The Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion is supported by the Digital Inclusion Strategy Board, a cross-government senior official board providing strategic oversight for the UK Government’s digital inclusion priorities. It previously met in May 2025 and January 2026, and is due for a meeting in Q3 2026.]]> https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/uk-ministers-lay-out-strategy-for-governments-approach-to-digital-inclusion/feed 0 348705