One of the most expensive and cumbersome parts of a secure ID implementation is the proofing of employees prior to credential issuance. For government credentials issued by federal agencies and contractors, the identity proofing process can now be managed remotely rather than via in-person interviews.

Illinois’ now famous and strict law regarding collection, storage and use of biometric authentication data is still creating controversy. Two recent lawsuits brought under that law, called BIPA, have had differing results and are leading to some confusion.

The HID-designed digital travel documents were first issued in Tanzania about a year ago and include an e-passport plus and emergency version for smartphones.

The controversial biometric ID program has been approved by authorities in India for voluntary use by people seeking to open bank or mobile phone accounts. The move stands as the latest example of biometrics helping to authenticate payments and commerce.

The proposed law, in the state legislature, is similar to Illinois biometric regulations that have sparked some 200 court actions, including a recent case involving Google. Violations of the Florida law could run as high $5,000 each.

New cards for use in the European Union would include digital fingerprint representations and photos of cardholders. The general idea behind the biometric ID cards is to make life harder for criminals and extremists.

As the biometric authentication spreads — this latest project in Miami involves Lufthansa Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and SITA. It relies on live facial photos checked against CBP databases for real-time matching and verification.