Biometric Firms Enhance Capabilities with New Features

Published Date : 7/19/2025 

Explore the latest advancements in biometrics and digital identity, including new acquisitions, age verification tools, and the launch of RealSense as an independent company. 

Biometrics is a rapidly evolving field, and this week saw significant updates from major digital identity providers and biometric technology companies. These developments are drawing the interest of many readers, particularly those following the latest trends in biometrics and digital identity.

The CEO interviews cover IN Groupe’s acquisition of Idemia Smart Identity, Inverid’s acquisition by Signicat, and Pimeyes’ new search tool. RealSense has been given its independence from Intel, along with $50 million in funding. The refresh also includes new formats and credentials coming to legacy ID and attribute systems, such as eVisas in the UK and age verification implementations to replace tick-box self-assertion.

Bluesky is implementing age verification and estimation from Epic Games subsidiary Kids Web Services to comply with UK regulations ahead of next week’s deadline. This means its users will have the option to confirm they are 18 or older using Yoti’s facial age estimation, which was built into KWS’ solution in 2023. Reddit chose Persona, which is partnered with Paravision on age assurance, explaining in its announcement how users’ data privacy is preserved.

The European Commission has released guidelines for online child protection, along with age verification software for use with EUDI Wallets from a joint venture of Scytáles and T-Systems. The software is intended as a ‘white label’ blueprint for localized versions and will be piloted in five countries.

Signicat’s acquisition of Inverid allows for a more complete integration of NFC ID document scans into various solutions within the digital identity platform. The combined entity plans to expand within Europe and leverage its experience to grow in other regions.

The new version of IN Groupe, post-Idemia Smart Identity merger, has synergies illustrated by the security printing elements for physical IDs and the chips embedded in modern passports and identity cards to digitalize them and include biometrics. CEO Agnès Diallo is optimistic that the combined entity can become a dominant global player in digital identity.

Pimeyes Director Giorgi Gobronidze discusses the company’s new video search capability, which could enable hundreds of thousands of content takedown requests. Gobronidze explains why he does not consider the technology biometrics and discusses his company’s interactions with regulators and critical privacy advocates.

The cloud of uncertainty hanging over Intel’s 3D camera business has been resolved, revealing a spun-out company with $50 million in funding. RealSense will expand its biometrics portfolio for integration with a range of devices and also target robotics as an independent company.

The UK has completed its transition to electronic visas, moving to issue only digital credentials instead of biometric residence cards. This is not enough to stop the irregular migration that has plagued the nation’s job market and politics, according to a former intelligence leader and a Labour politician, who each argue a digital ID is the tool that will work.

An LSE British Politics and Policy blog post from Margie Cheesman, Aaron Martin, and Weitzberg argues that the BritCard proposals represent the latest misguided attempt to use digital ID to fix a problem it can’t help. They contrast it with the GOV.UK app, which avoids the mass surveillance risks of BritCard.

Login.gov is adding support for biometric passports as an identity verification credential and upgrading its anti-fraud protections, according to a program roadmap from GSA. The U.S. government’s SSO platform will also accept mDLs by next March, through collaboration with states and NIST coordinated by the NCCOE.

The GAO reports that the Social Security Administration has failed to resolve cybersecurity issues it was made aware of. This failure leaves the agency, which is tasked with safeguarding Americans’ sensitive personal data, with dangerous blind spots, according to an audit report.

Liberia’s government has set up a steering committee to address a dysfunctional system for ID card issuance that some in the country are calling a national crisis. President Boakai has asked for previous contractor OSD to be retained, reiterating the importance of the biometric IDs to the country’s digital transformation.

The UN has launched an initiative called the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration, led by the world’s largest standards bodies, to fight against deepfakes. Big tech and government organizations are involved, and its first products, a pair of white papers, have been published. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What new age verification tools are being implemented by Bluesky and Reddit?

A: Bluesky is using Yoti’s facial age estimation, built into Kids Web Services’ solution, to verify users are 18 or older. Reddit is using Persona, partnered with Paravision, for age assurance.

Q: What is the European Commission’s new age verification software for EUDI Wallets?

A: The European Commission has released age verification software for EUDI Wallets, intended as a ‘white label’ blueprint and piloted in five countries.

Q: What are the synergies of IN Groupe post-Idemia Smart Identity merger?

A: The new version of IN Groupe includes security printing elements for physical IDs and chips embedded in modern passports and identity cards to digitalize them and include biometrics.

Q: What is RealSense’s new focus as an independent company?

A: RealSense, now independent from Intel with $50 million in funding, will expand its biometrics portfolio for integration with devices and target robotics.

Q: What is the UN’s new initiative to fight deepfakes?

A: The UN has launched the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration, involving big tech and government organizations, to fight against deepfakes. 

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