The controversial biometric ID program has been approved by authorities in India for voluntary use by people seeking to open bank or mobile phone accounts. The move stands as the latest example of biometrics helping to authenticate payments and commerce.

The proposed law, in the state legislature, is similar to Illinois biometric regulations that have sparked some 200 court actions, including a recent case involving Google. Violations of the Florida law could run as high $5,000 each.

New cards for use in the European Union would include digital fingerprint representations and photos of cardholders. The general idea behind the biometric ID cards is to make life harder for criminals and extremists.

As the biometric authentication spreads — this latest project in Miami involves Lufthansa Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and SITA. It relies on live facial photos checked against CBP databases for real-time matching and verification.

Facial recognition is increasingly being deployed to tighten security, improve authentication, and streamline payment and retail transactions. But an ordinance in San Francisco — the first of its kind — would ban its use by city government, potentially restricting police from using evidence gained from the biometric tool.

Biometrics, in simple terms, involves the recording of body measurements and details such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans. Fingerprints and facial scans unlock our phones and various biometrics secure our access to buildings and facilities. But where else can biometrics help? Can they alleviate the security issues associated with smart cards? Smart cards […]

Biometric authentication has pushed into the mainstream to become an increasingly important part of digital ID. But beyond fingerprints, facial recognition and the like there is “silent authentication,” an emerging trend that Gemalto breaks down in detail.