In line with the decentralizing trend, Acuant, a fraud prevention platform, and Airside, a digital identity management platform, announced the fruits of their newest partnership: the Airside Identity App, a privacy-minded, end-to-end encrypted verification tool. The app provides consumers with control over where, when and how they decide to use their personal data by using no centralized databases for identity data or images.

The Airside Identity App

Inner Workings

Where Acuant provides the “instant” identity verification, Airside provides the network that allows for smartphone-enabled portability and secure re-use of the sensitive information behind the user’s identity.

“At Airside, we stand by our motto ‘Privacy First. Human Always.’ and work with partners who believe that those fundamentals make the biggest impact,” says Amena Ali, CEO of Airside, on the collaboration. “Our technology is open and interoperable and it’s been easy to integrate with Acuant’s state-of-the-art technology.”

With easy integration, the companies ensured the app was also fairly easy to use for the typical consumer: users simply scan their government-issued IDs and take a selfie for biometric verification, a combination that is then matched with anti-spoofing protection for complete authentication.

Manifold Purpose

Alongside facial recognition, Acuant’s technology provides thorough verification of passports and driver’s licenses, two physical documents that can be used—and re-used—for linking verified users with services like COVID vaccination and COVID test records.

“Enabling shareable IDs and health data is an important step in ensuring we can efficiently and safely return to some sense of normalcy,” says Yossi Zekri, President and CEO of Acuant.

But the app is intended for far greater use outside of health and COVID-oriented services —streamlining financial services, e-commerce and contactless experiences at airports, sports venues and hotels remain prioritized use for the app.

No matter the sector, though, the theme of privacy holds.

“Data privacy is a top concern,” says Zekri. “By partnering with Airside, we are making a convenient and safe return possible, while putting consumer privacy first.”

ABOUT THE WRITER

Olivia Baker is a Tech Innovation Fellow at Identity Review from Columbia University, where she writes on tech policy and national digital identity technologies.

Contact Olivia Baker at olivia@identityreview.com.

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