Post by bear on Nov 3, 2023 13:03:55 GMT 7
Not Forum Specific but may be of interest to some.......
Australia’s biometric, ID verification systems have been operating illegally for 4 years
A rather significant legal oversight means that hundreds of millions of ID document and biometrics checks processed through the government of Australia’s identity verification services may have been conducted illegally, according to an article in the Guardian.
As the government of Anthony Albanese pushes for a quick deal on legislation governing the ID verification service, political opponents are pointing out that the service has operated for the last four years without a legal framework to govern the link between state ID systems and third party firms conducting ID checks.
Moreover, the pending legislation now under review in the Senate was abandoned by the previous government in 2019 in response to concerns about adequate privacy safeguards, particularly around facial recognition. At that time, the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security recommended that the proposal for an ID verification scheme be redrafted.
Critics say the present push to expedite legislation is more about cleaning up the government’s big illegal oopsie and avoiding litigation than about passing solid laws that have undergone necessary parliamentary scrutiny. Previous drafts allowed for both one-to-one face biometrics using selfie-to-photo document matching, and, for law enforcement, one-to-many searches conducted against a database of images. The current version softens that, but minimally: one-to-many search can only be used by authorities that need to search for people who are either undercover or in witness protection, so that previous identity records can be scrubbed.
Yet concerns remain that the law will not be broad enough to cover certain controversial uses of facial recognition. And regardless of what the new draft says, it remains just that: a draft, and not yet law.
A statement submitted to the inquiry by lawyers from the Human Rights Law Center calls it “extraordinary that the Australian government is, it seems, presently using identity-verification services on a mass scale without a lawful basis.” Numbers from 2022 show that the Document Verification Service was used more than 140 million times that year by private and public organizations. The biometric Facial Verification Service was used 2.6 million times by government agencies in the last financial year.
Meanwhile, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, is concerned that the law is being rushed through before forthcoming reforms to the Privacy Act, which she says should come first to maintain “a harmonized position” on privacy.
The long-term fate of Australia’s digital ID program is currently uncertain, as it faces funding shortages and questions about how it will figure in the next federal budget.
Article Topics
Australia | biometrics | face biometrics | identity verification | legislation
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Australia’s biometric, ID verification systems have been operating illegally for 4 years
A rather significant legal oversight means that hundreds of millions of ID document and biometrics checks processed through the government of Australia’s identity verification services may have been conducted illegally, according to an article in the Guardian.
As the government of Anthony Albanese pushes for a quick deal on legislation governing the ID verification service, political opponents are pointing out that the service has operated for the last four years without a legal framework to govern the link between state ID systems and third party firms conducting ID checks.
Moreover, the pending legislation now under review in the Senate was abandoned by the previous government in 2019 in response to concerns about adequate privacy safeguards, particularly around facial recognition. At that time, the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security recommended that the proposal for an ID verification scheme be redrafted.
Critics say the present push to expedite legislation is more about cleaning up the government’s big illegal oopsie and avoiding litigation than about passing solid laws that have undergone necessary parliamentary scrutiny. Previous drafts allowed for both one-to-one face biometrics using selfie-to-photo document matching, and, for law enforcement, one-to-many searches conducted against a database of images. The current version softens that, but minimally: one-to-many search can only be used by authorities that need to search for people who are either undercover or in witness protection, so that previous identity records can be scrubbed.
Yet concerns remain that the law will not be broad enough to cover certain controversial uses of facial recognition. And regardless of what the new draft says, it remains just that: a draft, and not yet law.
A statement submitted to the inquiry by lawyers from the Human Rights Law Center calls it “extraordinary that the Australian government is, it seems, presently using identity-verification services on a mass scale without a lawful basis.” Numbers from 2022 show that the Document Verification Service was used more than 140 million times that year by private and public organizations. The biometric Facial Verification Service was used 2.6 million times by government agencies in the last financial year.
Meanwhile, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, is concerned that the law is being rushed through before forthcoming reforms to the Privacy Act, which she says should come first to maintain “a harmonized position” on privacy.
The long-term fate of Australia’s digital ID program is currently uncertain, as it faces funding shortages and questions about how it will figure in the next federal budget.
Article Topics
Australia | biometrics | face biometrics | identity verification | legislation
Latest Biometrics News
Corsight’s real-time biometric surveillance in Bogotá public transit results in six arrests
Hold up: 300 say eIDAS rules could make surveillance easier for EU nations
Biometrics stocks: quarterlies, annuals, SEC actions
In-car AI imaging systems being refined for autonomous driving
Digital ID attack mitigation sometimes just makes room for better criminals
AI Insight Forum draws flak with Clearview invitation
Comments
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Stay on the cutting edge of the biometrics industry by subscribing to daily news updates from BiometricUpdate.com
MOST READ THIS WEEK
As Australia’s national digital ID marches on, myGov and NSW digital ID face delays
Kenya gazettes new digital ID legislation, adds face and iris biometrics
Fingerprint Cards lands its biggest deal yet for optical under-display biometric sensors
Airport biometrics see more trials with IATA, Frankfurt introduces face recognition check-in
UK introduces Online Safety Bill mandating age verification
Key takeaways from recent BIPA biometric technology vendor decision
Age-verification vendors could benefit from the new gang-suit of Meta
Biometrics pros school Google on Android PAD specs
Is neuromorphic computing the future of visual perception in machines?
UNDP launching inclusive digital public infrastructure development initiative
Daily Biometrics News
FEATURED COMPANY
Panini offers an expanding range of branch transformation and secure identity solutions, including the use of biometrics for reliable and user-friendly customer verification and authentication.
LEARN MORE
More Biometrics Companies
BIOMETRICS INSIGHT, OPINION
Takeaways from the ICO’s draft guidance on biometric data
Protecting the keys to your kingdom with credential security and user behavior analytics
Beyond faces: embracing choice and inclusivity in biometric authentication
Key takeaways from recent BIPA biometric technology vendor decision
eIDAS update sets up harmonized remote ID verification, privacy protection
Biometrics Industry Interviews
BIOMETRICS WHITE PAPERS
A definitive guide to fingerprint technology
The prospects of face, silhouette, and gait recognition
Gambling IQ digital identity and AI industry report
Facial biometrics buyer’s guide
Beyond passwords: A guide to biometric authentication
More White Papers
BIOMETRICS EVENTS
DIDO For Banking (4th Annual) Digital Identity and Digital Onboarding
London, UK: Nov 6 - Nov 7, 2023
Face Image Quality Workshop
Online: Nov 7 - Nov 9, 2023
Elevate fan engagement: Adapting to today’s entertainment landscape
Online: Nov 9, 2023
Future Identity Festival
London, UK: Nov 13 - Nov 14, 2023
Decoding Risk Signals Accuracy: Navigating the hidden risks in digital identity verification
Online: Nov 14, 2023
More Biometrics Events
EXPLAINING BIOMETRICS
Explaining face biometrics applications and adoption
Back to the secure future: The need for multi-factor authentication
What are passkeys, and how do they work?
Behavioral biometrics: What is it and how does it work?
Biometric speaker recognition expanding along with voice applications
More Biometrics Explainers
BiometricUpdate.com
Biometrics News Brand Focus Research White Papers Companies Solutions Request a quote Events Biometrics in developing nations
About Us Advertise Media Kit Free Listings Submit a Press Release Contact Us Jobs Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 Biometrics Research Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Web Design by Studio1337