ATO invests in face verification technology from iProov

iProov has been selected by the ATO to provide face verification services for myGovID. It’s the latest in a series of examples of governments turning to Genuine Presence Assurance for online identity verification.

Genuine Presence Assurance enables governments, banks and other organisations to verify that a person accessing services remotely is genuinely whom they claim to be. It combines the highest levels of security with an effortless experience for the user — essential to delivering inclusivity to citizens who may be unfamiliar with technology.

A remote user wanting to complete a secure process using their mobile device, for example opening a bank account, onboarding to a digital identity program or applying for a driver’s license, is asked to verify their identity with a brief face scan. This process, which lasts a few seconds, uses a sequence of colours to establish that the user is:

• The right person — does this person match the identity in the trusted source
• A real person — is this person a human being and not a photo, a mask or other presentation attack
• Authenticating right now — is this person authenticating themselves right now and is not a digitally injected attack using a video, deepfake or other synthetic media

The user does not need to move or follow instructions. They simply position their face into an oval on the screen and the scan takes place.

Image credit: iProov

By enabling governments to prevent online fraud in this way, iProov technology means that processes once requiring an in-person appointment with an identity check done by an official can now be done digitally.

iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance is being used by governments globally to support a wide range of services, from digital identity programs to immigration and health. The UK Home Office is using iProov, provided by WorldReach, to enable millions of EU citizens living in the UK to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. iProov is also being used by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK to onboard citizens to their NHS login, which provides access to health records and repeat prescription facilities.

In Singapore, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) is using iProov, supplied by Toppan Ecquaria, to provide face verification services for their national digital identity program, enabling Singapore residents to access 500 digital services via the SingPass app.

In the US, iProov is helping to facilitate cross-border travel for the US Department of Homeland Security. iProov’s solution enables travellers to use their personal devices to report their entry and exit to US Customs and Border Protection without requiring the direct engagement of a CBP Officer in person or online.

Genuine Presence Assurance also maximises user privacy. Face verification is very different to face recognition, where faces are matched to a database without user consent. A user knows that face verification is taking place, they collaborate with it, they see a direct benefit from it and their privacy is protected, using the privacy firewall.

Establishing the genuine presence of an online user has never been more important. Fraudsters can view banks and governments as honeypots, worthy of a concerted effort for impersonation or fake identity creation. In America, for example, benefit programs and stimulus packages have been targeted by fraudsters online, leading to losses of $36bn USD.

With Genuine Presence Assurance, governments have the ability to verify user identity securely and protect against fraud, while offering convenience, inclusivity and privacy to the citizen.

Top image credit: iProov