Web service launched to expedite biometric ID approval process

Published 15 March 2011

As identifying documents like biometric passports incorporate more sophisticated technology, consumers have been forced to comply with stricter application requirements. To help consumers avoid having their photo rejected on passport and visa applications, BioID, a large European biometric company, has launched Pic4Pass.

Pic4Pass is an online service designed to help consumers ensure that their ID photos comply with government standards for biometric passports.

Ho Chang, CEO of BioID, says, that “over ninety countries are currently requiring passports with facial biometrics,” and last year “105 million passports were issued.”

Unfortunately, even professional photographers, and certainly retail outlets around the world, don’t have sufficient knowledge of the international requirements for facial biometrics,” Chang explains.

The web service allows a user to upload their own picture and automatically determines if that photo complies with international standards set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization for biometric documents.

Users can now generate application photos at home, which could help reduce costs and save time.

Having photos rejected for lack of compliance can create considerable loss of time and money. Knowledge is growing and we intend to provide educational materials that will help as these requirements change,” Chang says.

Chang points to Global Entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection program which relies on fingerprint scans to expedite the arrival process, as an example of the benefits of Pic4Pass.

The program is costly to apply for, as applicants must pay a $100 processing fee, and relies heavily on the quality of photos and other biometric data stored in passports. Taking a photo at home and uploading it to Pic4Pass would save money and guarantee that it complies with established guidelines.

BioID is based in Nuremberg, Germany and specializes in multiple forms of biometric identification to secure information technology. The company’s software identifies users by constructing a digital identity based on their face, iris, and voice.