News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

New Zealand looks at biometrics for visas

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

New Zealand’s Department of Labour is looking at using biometrics to securely authenticate the identity of New Zealand visa holders crossing borders, according to a Reseller News article.

While they haven’t made any decisions on use of the technology yet, trials utilizing face and fingerprint recognition in both real and simulated situations have been planned. The proposed system is in need of various equipment and subsequent software and services from vendors including capture, storage, analysis and data migration equipment.

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In an effort to streamline passenger security, Jakarta, Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has opened the country’s first biometric immigration gate.

Fingerprint biometric identification provider BIO-key International, Inc. and Oakwell Engineering Limited partnered to create the new gate, designed for use by passengers with electronic passports. Passengers submit their e-passports and authenticate with a fingerprint.

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Privacy advocates in Canada have been raising concerns over the risk involved in two new biometric programs from the government that result in the sharing of private biometric data with other countries’ governments and possibly private corporations, according to an Embassy Magazine article.

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New Zealand’s government has passed legislation to enable Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to store photos of all non-New Zealanders entering the country as well as require fingerprint samples in some circumstances.

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Biometrics enable expedited border screening

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Global Entry program is expanding enabling enrolled U.S. citizens to enjoy expedited screening when returning from travel abroad to a number of domestic airports. The program also makes them eligible to participate in similar programs at foreign airports.

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A new Morpho company under the Safran group has been launched called MorphoTrust USA.

The new company, which was formed after the acquisition of three divisions and the headquarters of former biometrics developer L-1 Identity Solutions, will serve as an identity solutions provider dedicated to the U.S. market only.

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The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) announced that the registration of Emirati newborns is now mandatory for electronic passports (e-passport) and ID cards, according to ArabianBusiness.com.

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