It’s been another week of diverse topics in tech news on Mobile ID World, but our roundup of the most popular stories is almost totally dominated by one theme: mobile ID apps.
Apple, for example, continued to make waves with its own mobile ID solution. The company has quietly pushed back its planned launch date from late 2021 to early 2022, a development that would naturally attract reader interest given recent revelations about the degree of control that Apple has attained in its agreements with states with which it has partnered on the solution. But readers were also likely interested in new signals of how Apple plans to expand the functionality of its mobile ID solution:
Apple Delays Mobile ID Rollout, Hints at Retail, Venue Access Features
Meanwhile, Iowa – one of Apple’s state partners in the mobile ID project – has also been developing its own mobile driver’s license solution. And the Iowa Department of Transportation attracted attention from Mobile ID World readers this week with the news that it planned to begin testing its mobile ID app internally this month, aiming for a broader rollout next summer:
Iowa to Start Internal Testing of Mobile Driver’s License App
On the other side of the world, the government of New South Wales in Australia recently issued an Expression of Interest concerning the development of a digital wallet that would be able to store virtual versions of government-issued IDs, among other documents. It also issued a Request for Information pertaining to the integration of facial recognition technology into its public-facing online channels:
New South Wales Authorities Prepare Mobile ID, Biometric Access Projects
Mobile ID technology is also booming on campuses, and to take advantage of the trend, TouchNet has announced a new student ID solution. Dubbed “360u”, the solution is meant to house a digital version of a student’s official school ID, and also to facilitate on-campus payments and access control, with additional functionality planned for the future. TouchNet says it’s already piloting the app with four universities:
TouchNet Upgrades Mobile Student ID System With Access and Payments Capabilities
And finally, some news that isn’t about a mobile ID app – but is very much about the identities of mobile device users. Readers showed a lot of interest in news out of Pakistan this week indicating that some government authorities are concerned that a database of mobile device users’ fingerprint biometrics has been hacked. The concerns stem from the rise of illegal SIM cards in the country, but it isn’t yet clear whether a hack of the register is the cause:
Pakistan Raises Concerns About Fingerprint Spoofing and Illegal SIM Cards
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Keep reading Mobile ID World for the latest news from the world of digital identity. You can also visit our sibling site FindBiometrics to learn more about biometrics.
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