Face biometrics taking over authentication and age assurance

The EU appears to have set a new launch date for its biometric Entry/Exit System, which would avoid the potential hassles of introducing a new ID check process until after the Paris Olympics. October 6, 2024 is the target launch date. Ryanair is already complaining that the system is poorly managed, and Eurotunnel, which announced the new date, estimates that additional biometric checks will significantly increase processing times.

Canadian lawmakers have advanced a bill that would mandate age checks for online pornography to the committee stage. The bill does not specify the method of age assurance, which could be based on digital ID, identity document and selfie uploads, or facial age estimation. MPs voting against it say a broader set of online harms, such as gambling and violent content, should be subject to age verification.