Andrew N. Ferguson is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, his selection could indicate an inclination by the incoming Trump administration to deprioritize FTC rulemaking and enforcement activities related to data privacy and AI. This also could indicate a broader regulatory philosophy that emphasizes legislative action over administrative rulemaking. Ferguson’s stated regulatory philosophy and strategic priorities, if implemented as FTC chair, would have profound implications for industry and consumers. Critics argue that this shift would mean that critical privacy issues will be given short shrift as technologies like AI and data analytics rapidly evolve and outpace regulatory schema. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202412/will-trumps-pick-to-lead-the-ftc-halt-privacy-rulemaking-ai-enforcement

New biometric technology is coming to borders in Europe and the UK, but as reflected in several of Biometric Update’s most-read articles of the week, it is a work in progress. Atos is getting blamed for EES delays, which are buying the UK time to get its borders in order. That is happening, in part, with an Ingenium-supported trial of biometric self-enrollment technology from Dermalog, iProov, Integrated Biometrics, Thales, Tech5 and others. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202412/biometrics-upgrades-arriving-at-borders-but-check-the-schedule-for-updates

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for biometric fingerprint scanners. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for biometric fingerprint scanners. Per Thales’ website, the French firm’s DactyScan84c is a compact and FBI App-F certified 10-print device suitable for all applications needing 4-slaps and rolled acquisition. It has a simple, tricolor LED user interface, patented liveness detection and multi-OS compatibility for easy integration. It weighs 1.4 kg and comes in two versions: a standard top version measuring 148 x 152 x 148 mm and a flat top version measuring 148 x 152 x 121mm. Its main applications are for eID document issuing and criminal identification. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202412/tender-for-fingerprint-scanners-from-ukraine-cites-thales-dermalog

Citizens of Cyprus can now go digital, with the launch of the country’s mobile digital services app, Digital Citizen. The country’s president, Nikos Christodoulides, says the app “allows citizens to obtain and store official documents in digital format for legal use within the country,” according to reporting from In-Cyprus. In the first phase of rollout, that includes biometric identity cards, driving licences and vehicle roadworthiness certificates (MOT). QR codes are used to facilitate the scanning of digital documents. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202412/cyprus-launches-digital-citizen-mobile-digital-id-app

https://rumble.com/v5smqjz-occupied-world-premiere.html

Coming to CANADA soon just as there did in N.Z. Consumer and civil rights groups are questioning the results of a facial recognition trial conducted by New Zealand’s supermarket chain Foodstuffs. The retailer has been deploying the technology in its stores to prevent retail crime. One of the main concerns about the technology is the accuracy of facial recognition on minority populations with darker skin. According to independent consumer protection organization Consumer NZ, the Foodstuffs trial did not gather information on the ethnicity of individuals misidentified by facial recognition. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202411/new-zealands-foodstuff-defends-its-use-of-facial-recognition

When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn’t immediately get them out. “You couldn’t open the car,” said Rick Harper, a Canada Post employee who saw flames shooting from the vehicle and stopped to help. With the help of other bystanders, they were able to smash one of the car’s windows and pull a woman to safety. Four others, including the driver, died inside the vehicle. https://www.ctvnews.ca/autos/you-couldn-t-open-the-door-concerns-over-awareness-of-and-access-to-tesla-emergency-latch-after-4-killed-in-toronto-5-killed-in-wisconsin-1.7108463

Canada is preparing to hold an open bidding process to procure biometric identification equipment to support its immigration system. The value of the contract or contracts available from the Department of Public Works and Government Services (PSPC) could be anywhere from $25 million Canadian (US$18.1 million) to CA$100 million ($72.2 million). https://www.biometricupdate.com/202411/canada-planning-immigration-biometrics-contract-worth-up-to-72m

If we look at a 50-year price chart for silver, we see a very distinctive pattern known as a “secular cup and handle.” This is a long-term bullish pattern. You can see the “cup” with the twin highs of around $50 per ounce in 1980 and 2011. Following the 2011 peak, we see a sharp decline in the price followed by a consolidation “handle.”( IN USD ) https://activistpost.com/2024/11/gold-and-silver-are-the-best-performing-investment-assets-so-far-in-2024.html

“This agreement represents a major milestone in the mission to transform Citizen Services using digital trust technologies,” says Ron Mac Donell, CEO of AffinitiQuest. “The federal government’s commitment to service delivery excellence and digitalization aligns perfectly with our platform’s capabilities.” The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, now in its ninth year, has a mandate to drive digital transformation across public services. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202410/affinitiquest-digital-credential-platform-to-power-canadian-federal-govt-id-services