- Email: [email protected]
UK Biometrics Commissioner seeks to strengthen early deletion rights
NEWS keep governments informed and empowered. With our tools, they can effectively monitor the flow of people from across borders, making it easier to stop the virus from transferring from region to region.” Securiport’s biometric solutions leverage ultrasound technology to provide accurate identity verification reporting. The biometric data is collected and integrated into a database of traveller activity, and stored in a secure cloud environment. Using data visualization and analytics software, Securiport’s solution provides users with risk assessment modelling and contract tracing by using Big Data to identify patterns and provide decision support metrics. Securiport funds the implementation of the immigration systems at no cost to local governments. Securiport immigration systems are operational in Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Equatorial Guinea, with new implementations in Liberia and Guinea pending activation. In addition, Securiport is seeking advice from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) personnel on the ground where the Ebola viral disease is active for the purpose of deploying the Epidemic Control System proprietary software that, working in tandem with the immigration systems, helps in tracking passengers who have recently been in or near the affected regions.
law enforcement
INTERPOL meets to develop facial recognition standards
T
he first meeting of the INTERPOL Facial Expert Working Group has begun the process of developing international facial recognition standards. The two-day meeting in October gathered 24 technical and biometrics experts and examiners from 16 countries to produce a ‘best practice guide’ for the quality, format and transmission of images to be used in facial recognition. It will be circulated to all 190 INTERPOL member countries to serve as a guideline for improving the quality of images necessary for accurate and effective facial recognition. As part of INTERPOL’s facial recognition initiative, the working group will meet twice a year and serve as INTERPOL’s advisory group in this biometric field. INTERPOL is developing a facial image database with the support of Safran Morpho. The database is expected to become operational in early 2015.
UÊ
iÕÀÌiV }ÞÊ >ÃÊ>ÕV i`ÊÌÃÊ VeriLook Surveillance SDK, designed for developing software that performs biometric face identification and detects moving pedestrians or objects using live video streams from high resolution digital surveillance cameras. The SDK is used for passive identification when passersby do not make any efforts to be recognised. The VeriLook Surveillance SDK is available for Microsoft Windows and Linux.
UK Biometrics Commissioner seeks to strengthen early deletion rights
T
he UK Biometrics Commissioner has responded to a Home Office consultation seeking views on new guidance for police chief constables considering applications from the public to have their DNA and fingerprints deleted before the legal retention period expires. The Biometrics Commissioner is independent of the UK Government. His or her role is to keep under review the retention and use by the police of DNA samples, DNA profiles and fingerprints. The Biometrics Commissioner commented that conditions for deletion in the current Guidance are much too restrictive and early deletion should be available in a much wider range of situations. The Commissioner suggested that in any case in which material may have been obtained unlawfully or as a result of an arrest which was either unlawful or based on mistaken identity, that possibility should be brought to the attention of the responsible Chief Officer and also to the Early Deletion Unit.
US and NZ police forces roll out mobile fingerprint biometrics
N
ew York Police Department officers will be equipped with smartphones that allow officers to search databases, view wanted posters and scan suspects’ fingerprints. The $160m programme will be rolled out to all 35,000 NYPD officers next year, Mayor Bill de Blasio told CBS. Meanwhile the New Zealand government has announced the national roll-out of the Booze Bus Biometrics (BBB) system. Continued on page 12...
EVENTS CALENDAR 12–15 January 2015 Lisbon, Portugal
Biostec 2015 BIOSTEC will bring together researchers and practitioners, including engineers, biologists, health professionals and informatics/computer scientists, interested in both theoretical advances and applications of information systems, artificial intelligence, signal processing, electronics and other engineering tools in knowledge areas related to biology and medicine. BIOSTEC is composed of five co-located conferences, each specialised in at least one of the main knowledge areas. More information: http://www.biostec.org
18–20 January 2015 Dubai, UAE Intersec 2015 Intersec 2015 will be the 17th edition at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The last edition in January 2014 featured 1,213 exhibitors and welcomed 24,766 visitors from 131 countries. More information: www.intersecexpo.com
18–20 January 2015 Sousse, Tunisia International Biometrics & Smart Government Summit (IBMSGS’ 2015) IBMSGS’15 is composed of a number of tracks, including tutorials, sessions, workshops, posters, and panel discussions. More information: http://www.ibmsgs.org
26–28 January 2015 Washington DC Biometrics for Government and Law Enforcement Biometrics for Government and Law Enforcement returns for its 9th consecutive year to cater to the needs of federal government and local law enforcement. It expects to welcome representatives from DHS, the US Army, CBP, FBI, Michigan State Police, TSA, USCIS, and others. This year’s agenda offers focused breakout sessions focused on future requirements, science and technology, and field operations. More information: http://www.biometricsevent.com
14–16 April 2015 Greater Boston, Massachusetts, US 2015 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST ’15) The 2015 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST ’15) brings together innovators from leading academic, industry, business, Homeland Security Centers of Excellence, and government programmes to provide a forum to discuss ideas, concepts, and experimental results. The IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security was formerly called The IEEE Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security. More information: http://ieee-hst.org
3 November/December 2014
Biometric Technology Today
law enforcement
INTERPOL meets to develop facial recognition standards
T
he first meeting of the INTERPOL Facial Expert Working Group has begun the process of developing international facial recognition standards. The two-day meeting in October gathered 24 technical and biometrics experts and examiners from 16 countries to produce a ‘best practice guide’ for the quality, format and transmission of images to be used in facial recognition. It will be circulated to all 190 INTERPOL member countries to serve as a guideline for improving the quality of images necessary for accurate and effective facial recognition. As part of INTERPOL’s facial recognition initiative, the working group will meet twice a year and serve as INTERPOL’s advisory group in this biometric field. INTERPOL is developing a facial image database with the support of Safran Morpho. The database is expected to become operational in early 2015.
UÊ
iÕÀÌiV }ÞÊ >ÃÊ>ÕV i`ÊÌÃÊ VeriLook Surveillance SDK, designed for developing software that performs biometric face identification and detects moving pedestrians or objects using live video streams from high resolution digital surveillance cameras. The SDK is used for passive identification when passersby do not make any efforts to be recognised. The VeriLook Surveillance SDK is available for Microsoft Windows and Linux.
UK Biometrics Commissioner seeks to strengthen early deletion rights
T
he UK Biometrics Commissioner has responded to a Home Office consultation seeking views on new guidance for police chief constables considering applications from the public to have their DNA and fingerprints deleted before the legal retention period expires. The Biometrics Commissioner is independent of the UK Government. His or her role is to keep under review the retention and use by the police of DNA samples, DNA profiles and fingerprints. The Biometrics Commissioner commented that conditions for deletion in the current Guidance are much too restrictive and early deletion should be available in a much wider range of situations. The Commissioner suggested that in any case in which material may have been obtained unlawfully or as a result of an arrest which was either unlawful or based on mistaken identity, that possibility should be brought to the attention of the responsible Chief Officer and also to the Early Deletion Unit.
US and NZ police forces roll out mobile fingerprint biometrics
N
ew York Police Department officers will be equipped with smartphones that allow officers to search databases, view wanted posters and scan suspects’ fingerprints. The $160m programme will be rolled out to all 35,000 NYPD officers next year, Mayor Bill de Blasio told CBS. Meanwhile the New Zealand government has announced the national roll-out of the Booze Bus Biometrics (BBB) system. Continued on page 12...
EVENTS CALENDAR 12–15 January 2015 Lisbon, Portugal
Biostec 2015 BIOSTEC will bring together researchers and practitioners, including engineers, biologists, health professionals and informatics/computer scientists, interested in both theoretical advances and applications of information systems, artificial intelligence, signal processing, electronics and other engineering tools in knowledge areas related to biology and medicine. BIOSTEC is composed of five co-located conferences, each specialised in at least one of the main knowledge areas. More information: http://www.biostec.org
18–20 January 2015 Dubai, UAE Intersec 2015 Intersec 2015 will be the 17th edition at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The last edition in January 2014 featured 1,213 exhibitors and welcomed 24,766 visitors from 131 countries. More information: www.intersecexpo.com
18–20 January 2015 Sousse, Tunisia International Biometrics & Smart Government Summit (IBMSGS’ 2015) IBMSGS’15 is composed of a number of tracks, including tutorials, sessions, workshops, posters, and panel discussions. More information: http://www.ibmsgs.org
26–28 January 2015 Washington DC Biometrics for Government and Law Enforcement Biometrics for Government and Law Enforcement returns for its 9th consecutive year to cater to the needs of federal government and local law enforcement. It expects to welcome representatives from DHS, the US Army, CBP, FBI, Michigan State Police, TSA, USCIS, and others. This year’s agenda offers focused breakout sessions focused on future requirements, science and technology, and field operations. More information: http://www.biometricsevent.com
14–16 April 2015 Greater Boston, Massachusetts, US 2015 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST ’15) The 2015 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST ’15) brings together innovators from leading academic, industry, business, Homeland Security Centers of Excellence, and government programmes to provide a forum to discuss ideas, concepts, and experimental results. The IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security was formerly called The IEEE Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security. More information: http://ieee-hst.org
3 November/December 2014
Biometric Technology Today