Previously, in ID & Secure Document News™, I have written about the demise of the paper visa in favour of electronic versions that offer greater convenience and functionality over their physical counterparts (see IDN March 2024). In this editorial I will look at another application where digital is rapidly replacing physical.

In an EU-funded research project, a broad consortium of developers and researchers has laid the foundations for the smart border management of the future. Combining the highest security standards with convenient travel, the D4FLY project, led by Veridos, focuses on new solutions for identity and document verification, including AI and biometrics.

By his own admission, Renaud Laffont-Leenhardt, Product Line Director for Travel Documents at Thales, will have long retired by 2044, but that didn’t stop him from presenting a compelling vision for travel documents at the recent ODDS conference.

Latin America (LatAm) boasts a rich tapestry of cultures, landscapes, and identities, intricately woven into the fabric of each nation. At the heart of this diversity lies the passport, a symbolic gateway that not only facilitates travel but also embodies the essence of sovereignty and citizenship.

Reconnaissance International, publisher of ID & Secure Document News™ (IDN), has released the inaugural edition of the Directory of ID & Secure Document Suppliers.

The UK government has recently spotlighted digital identity and artificial intelligence (AI) as key technologies for state- supported research. Its policy document promises to reshape how the UK interacts with technology and pave the way for economic growth and a more inclusive society.

Optic ID, an iris authentication system developed by Apple, is a key feature integrated into Apple’s new Vision Pro headset. This technology enables users to securely unlock their device, authorise transactions, access personal data, and sign-in to various applications using iris recognition.

Recent studies from Columbia University suggest a shift in some of the strongest held assumptions about fingerprint analysis by challenging the conventional notion of the absolute uniqueness of fingerprints.

In March 2023, ID & Secure Document News™ (IDN) carried an article on the opportunities for new projects stemming from research collaborations, using the UK SPRITE+ network as an example.

The secure Hologram Image Register (HIR), established by the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) to help safeguard hologram copyright and underpin the use of holograms in authentication and security printing, has been extended and relaunched as the Security Image Register (SIR).