Biometric Borders & Business: The Future of Digital Identity

Published Date : 8/16/2025 

Explore the latest developments in biometric technology and its impact on border security, digital identity, and age verification. From mandatory digital IDs in the UK to facial recognition in Kansas City, the landscape is rapidly evolving. 

Biometric technology is becoming an integral part of enforcing borders and verifying identities, both in physical and digital realms. However, this advancement comes with its share of controversies, particularly in the areas of immigration and age checks. This week’s top stories on Biometric Update highlight the potential and challenges of biometrics in enhancing identity verification for citizenship, travel authorization, and airport security.

UK Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has stated that the Conservative Party is carefully considering a policy to make digital IDs mandatory. This move aims to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants across the nation’s borders. Philp’s comments align with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s stance on using ID cards to tackle migration and a Scottish Labour MP’s views on cutting fraud and improving the tax system. These positions suggest the beginnings of bipartisan consensus on the need for a UK national digital identity.

The UK Home Office is also making strides towards remote biometrics self-enrollment for foreigners applying for travel authorization. An early engagement event is scheduled for a possible trial next week. The government’s goal is to gauge the interest of companies that can capture fingerprint biometrics and bind them to an identity through a smartphone app.

In the United States, a CBP agent was spotted wearing Ray-Ban and Meta smart glasses, another example of the federal government’s adoption of surveillance technologies. However, this use appears to lack official approval, and the officer may have violated CBP policy by recording someone not subject to an enforcement action.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is exploring options for contracting turnkey biometrics and digital ID screening to private sector partners. This initiative aligns with the Touchless ID pilot and the broader vision of using biometrics and automated systems to process passengers more quickly with fewer staff.

Kansas City is preparing for its role as one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026 by equipping its buses with live facial recognition cameras. These cameras will be able to identify individuals listed in law enforcement databases and use facial analysis to flag potential threats.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has contracted Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology for use by Homeland Security Investigations. The technology has been used in the past to investigate crimes, including child exploitation. However, the exact scope of use is unclear and has raised concerns among privacy and immigrant’s rights advocates.

A report from the White House Working Group on Digital Asset Markets argues that digital identity is crucial for national leadership in the crypto industry. Securing digital assets could be the use case that pushes digital identity to the forefront, as argued by Socure’s Jordan Burris, including but not limited to mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs).

The U.S. is also objecting to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which provides the legal basis for age assurance on the continent. The U.S. argues that the DSA could increase costs for American companies and suppress free speech. The DSA has its critics within the EU as well, including organizations like EDRi and the DSA Observatory, which have different concerns than their transcontinental counterparts.

Canada is moving closer to introducing age verification standards, as the national standards body has approved minimum requirements for age assurance technologies. CAN/DGSI 127:2025 is yet to be published, but insights from earlier consultations may indicate the direction of national policy.

A World Bank blog post outlines a vision for enabling interoperable digital payments for greater financial inclusion through digital ID. The authors propose Fast Payment Systems as a key component of digital payments interoperability and a model for implementing them.

1Kosmos, a biometrics and identity verification company, has raised $57 million in a Series B funding round. The funds will be used to grow the company’s engineering team and expand its biometrics, liveness detection, digital wallet, and identity verification capabilities to more geographies, enterprise platforms, and verticals.

IDnow has passed an assessment for the EU’s standard for AML-compliant identity verification, which includes biometric presentation and injection attack detection requirements. Earning ETSI 119 461 Extended LoIP certification from QSCert sets IDnow up to serve incoming AML rules with digital identity wallets ahead of time.

In this week’s episode of the Biometric Update Podcast, Socure’s Chief Growth Officer Rivka Little offers insights on the rapidly changing age assurance landscape, including recent regulatory developments.

On Wednesday, Iain Corby, Executive Director of the Age Verification Providers Association, Shreya Suri, Partner at CMS IndusLaw, and Pratishtha Arora, CEO of Social & Media Matters, will join Biometric Update’s Chris Burt and Joel McConvey to discuss the evolving landscape of age assurance in India. Register for this webinar now to gain critical insights into one of the most pressing data protection and digital identity issues in India today.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the UK’s stance on mandatory digital IDs?

A: The UK Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and other political figures are considering a policy to make digital IDs mandatory to help reduce illegal immigration and improve the tax system.

Q: What is the TSA’s plan for biometric screening?

A: The TSA is exploring options for contracting turnkey biometrics and digital ID screening to private sector partners, aiming to process passengers more quickly with fewer staff.

Q: What concerns do privacy advocates have about Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology?

A: Privacy and immigrant’s rights advocates are concerned about the unclear scope of use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology by ICE, particularly in terms of potential misuse and lack of transparency.

Q: What is the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and why is the U.S. objecting to it?

A: The DSA provides the legal basis for age assurance in the EU. The U.S. objects to it, citing potential increased costs for American companies and concerns about free speech.

Q: What is the significance of the World Bank’s vision for digital payments interoperability?

A: The World Bank’s vision for digital payments interoperability through digital ID aims to enhance financial inclusion by enabling faster and more secure payment systems. 

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