With Identity Week America just around the corner, we are thrilled to welcome back Evie Kim Sing, Editor of IdentityWeek.net , for an exclusive preview of the big event in Washington, D.C.Evie offers a detailed overview of the 2025 agenda, outlining the key themes and presentations set to define the event. The discussion covers critical industry developments, including the state-level implementation of mobile Driver's Licenses, the significant impact of the new NIST Digital Identity Guidelines (...
Aug 06, 2025•20 min•Ep. 185
As facial recognition technology becomes more powerful, who ensures it's used correctly and ethically? This week, the ID Talk crew takes a field trip to meet the members of the Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG). We sit down with forensic experts and law enforcement leaders from around the world to discuss their crucial, volunteer-driven work in setting global standards for face forensics. Tune in to learn about the group's background and operations, how advanced AI is changi...
Jul 30, 2025•42 min•Ep. 184
With generative AI making fraud more sophisticated and scalable than ever, how can we trust what we see online? This week, we're joined by Nathan Short, VP of Research at AuthenticID, for a deep dive into the "cat and mouse" game of digital identity verification. Nathan pulls back the curtain on their special Identity Fraud Task Force, explaining how they think like hackers to stay ahead of deepfakes, and why "trusted capture" technology may be our best defense against the rising tide of AI-driv...
Jul 23, 2025•44 min•Ep. 183
In this episode of ID Talk, co-hosts Alex Perala, Dave Barclay, and Tony Bitzionis are joined by Jarek Sygitowicz, co-founder of Authologic, a company on a mission to simplify identity verification by aggregating government-issued eIDs, identity wallets, and bank IDs into a single API. Jarek explains how Authologic is helping businesses navigate the complexity of KYC and AML compliance, and how identity wallets are dramatically improving user onboarding. The conversation covers global trends in ...
Jul 17, 2025•40 min•Ep. 182
In this week's episode, ID Talk's Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Sam Cilento, Business Development Manager at Lakota Software Solutions, for an engaging conversation live from Identity Week Europe – and in a follow-up call for a post-event debrief. Sam shares how Lakota, a relatively small West Virginia company, powers some of the world’s largest biometric systems with its Ani SDK and Whorl software, helping vendors and agencies navigate the complex world of biometric standards and...
Jul 09, 2025•38 min•Ep. 181
From the show floor at Identity Week Europe in Amsterdam, we sit down with Hubert Behaghel, Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Markiyan Matsekh, Director of Product and Expansion at Veriff, for a deep dive into the evolving world of digital identity and the promise and peril of rapidly evolving AI.
Jul 02, 2025•39 min•Ep. 180
In the latest episode of ID Talk, Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala sit down with Nicole McNamee-Wicks, Director of Biometric Cybersecurity at FaceTec and a former federal agent with over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Nicole shares how her career combating identity fraud with the SSA OIG led her to FaceTec – and why she believes the company’s technology could be a game-changer for securing documents and protecting individuals. They discuss the rise of fake IDs, FaceTec’s industry-leading ...
Jun 23, 2025•32 min•Ep. 179
In this episode of ID Talk , hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis are joined by Evie Kim Sing, Editor of IdentityWeek.net , to discuss the major trends shaping the identity industry. Evie shares insights from her reporting on deepfake fraud, biometric data in travel, and the importance of inclusive innovation in identity tech. She also previews what to expect at Identity Week Europe in Amsterdam — from European digital identity wallets to frictionless border technologies and Startup City. We dis...
Jun 12, 2025•32 min•Ep. 178
In this episode, ID Talk welcomes Dan Pinto, co-founder and CEO of Fingerprint, a device intelligence company redefining fraud prevention without collecting personal data. Dan shares how Fingerprint achieves industry-leading device identification accuracy, discusses the rise of agentic AI and VPN-based fraud, and explains why Apple’s privacy changes were a growth catalyst. It’s a fascinating dive into the evolving line between privacy, trust, and digital risk.
May 28, 2025•25 min•Ep. 177
Ajay Amlani, the new President and CEO of Aware, joins ID Talk to share his bold vision for the future of biometrics and digital identity. In a wide-ranging conversation with hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis, Amlani draws on his extensive background – from shaping U.S. homeland security policy to launching innovation units in Silicon Valley – to discuss the transformative role biometrics can play in the age of AI and rising digital threats. He explains why Aware’s deep technology roots and s...
May 21, 2025•41 min•Ep. 176
In this episode of ID Talk , we sit down with Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz, to explore how metasurface optics are reshaping the future of facial recognition and mobile sensing. Rob walks us through the groundbreaking technology behind metasurfaces—flat, nanostructured lenses that replace traditional optical stacks—and how Metalenz’s latest product, Polar ID, leverages polarization imaging to deliver secure, spoof-resistant face authentication in mobile form factors. We discuss the ...
May 14, 2025•36 min•Ep. 175
Friend of the pod Danielle VanZandt returns to share her key takeaways and expert insights from this year's RSA Conference. As the Research Manager & Program Director for Frost & Sullivan's Commercial and Public Security unit, Danielle brings her usual wealth of expertise to the conversation. It's especially helpful in this case as we onboard the latest member of the ID Tech team, Dave Barclay, who joins the discussion to ask the essential questions that non-experts might be wondering....
May 07, 2025•40 min•Ep. 174
In this episode of ID Talk, Alex Perala sits down with Alexandre Kech, CEO of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), to explore how GLEIF is bringing digital identity to the enterprise itself. They discuss the origins of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), its global adoption, and the foundation’s latest innovation – the Verifiable LEI (VLEI) – designed to give companies and their authorized representatives cryptographically verifiable credentials. From financial markets to Web3 t...
Apr 14, 2025•34 min•Ep. 173
In this episode of ID Talk, IDnow’s Director of Research, Montaser Awal, reveals how AI is reshaping the fight against digital fraud and deepfake threats. He discusses IDnow’s role in Europe's groundbreaking Achilles Project, emphasizing transparency, fairness, and trust in artificial intelligence. Montaser also shares valuable insights into the importance of data quality, privacy, and bias mitigation in AI-driven identity verification. Tune in to hear how IDnow is building ethical AI that genui...
Mar 26, 2025•31 min•Ep. 172
In the wake of LexisNexis Risk Solutions' recent acquisition of IDVerse, Kimberly Sutherland, Global Head of Fraud and Identity, joins the ID Talk podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of digital fraud and identity security. Sutherland shares her insights on the growing sophistication of fraud threats powered by AI, the strategic thinking behind LexisNexis Risk Solutions' series of identity-focused acquisitions, and how businesses can effectively balance security with user convenience. She a...
Mar 19, 2025•30 min•Ep. 171
This week, ID Talk welcomes Colm Gannon, CEO of ICMEC Australia, for a discussion about the intersection of technology, privacy, and child protection. Gannon discusses how ICMEC collaborates with law enforcement, regulators, and tech companies to combat child exploitation, the challenges of balancing privacy rights with victim protection, and the role of technologies like facial recognition and AI in investigations. The conversation covers regulatory developments, including the EU’s AI Act, and ...
Feb 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 170
In this episode of ID Talk, co-hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Cyrus Hodes, an AI governance expert affiliated with the OECD and co-founder of The Future Society. Cyrus shares insights into the urgent need for global AI safety measures, the rise of deepfakes, and the challenges of governing rapidly evolving AI technologies. He discusses his work leading the OECD’s AI safety initiatives, the importance of decentralized governance, and his new venture leveraging blockchain for A...
Feb 19, 2025•38 min•Ep. 169
In this episode of ID Talk, hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), to discuss the latest trends in mobile identity, authentication, and consumer trust. Dario shares insights from MEF’s meticulous reports revealing why trust in mobile services remains low, how SMS authentication is declining, and why emerging markets are leading the charge in digital identity adoption. The conversation also explores the role of AI in fraud and secu...
Feb 11, 2025•40 min•Ep. 168
In this episode of ID Talk, hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis are joined by industry analysts Danielle VanZandt (Frost & Sullivan) and Alan Goode (Goode Intelligence) for an in-depth discussion on the biggest digital identity and biometrics trends shaping 2025. The conversation covers key developments in the European Union’s Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI), the UK’s newly announced digital ID program, and the growing role of biometrics in retail and travel. The guests also discuss the rise...
Jan 29, 2025•48 min•Ep. 167
This week on the ID Talk Podcast, Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis sit down with Rob Sutton, HID's Director of Solution Enablement for Aviation and Travel. Rob shares his expertise on how biometrics and digital transformation are revolutionizing air travel. From regional challenges to groundbreaking technologies like facial recognition and mobile credentials, Rob offers fascinating insights into the future of seamless, secure travel. Don't miss his take on industry trends, a few quirky airport ane...
Jan 21, 2025•46 min•Ep. 166
Following Part 1 of our deep dive into 3D biometrics with FaceTec VP Jay Meier, the conversation delves even deeper into the innovations driving FaceTec’s technology—and its new UR code protocol. Jay highlights the transformative power of 3D systems over 2D systems, and explores how FaceTec’s system mitigates risks like presentation attacks and deepfake injection. He also outlines the groundbreaking UR Code concept, emphasizing that it's "a protocol, not a product." And it's one that could "revo...
Jan 13, 2025•41 min•Ep. 165
For ID Talk's first episode of 2025, FaceTec VP Jay Meier returns to dig into the technical underpinnings of his firm's new UR Code solution. The discussion explores the critical differences between 2D and 3D biometric systems, with Jay detailing the limitations of 2D systems, including perspective distortions and challenges with depth perception, and explaining how 3D technology provides a game-changing approach to accuracy and reliability in facial matching and liveness detection. The conversa...
Jan 06, 2025•32 min•Ep. 164
In this episode of ID Talk, Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis welcome back Rahul Parthe, CTO, Chairman, and co-founder of TECH5. They dive into the challenges and opportunities of building decentralized digital identity systems, especially in the Global South. Rahul explains how decentralization can enhance security, reduce costs, and protect privacy, while also fostering scalable national infrastructure. Tune in to learn how TECH5 is shaping the future of digital public infrastructure and the role...
Dec 16, 2024•41 min•Ep. 163
In this episode of the ID Talk podcast, hosts Alex Perala and Tony Bitzionis are joined by Frances Zelazny, Co-Founder and CEO of Anonybit, to explore the evolving landscape of biometric security and privacy. Frances dives into Anonybit's unique approach to decentralized biometrics, explaining how sharding and distributing data across multi-cloud environments helps prevent data breaches and fraud. She discusses Anonybit’s recent milestones, industry partnerships, and how the platform complements...
Dec 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 162
This week, the ID Talk podcast welcomes Karl Holmqvist, founder and CEO of Lastwall, to explore the pressing challenges of cybersecurity in the age of quantum computing. Lastwall's focus is on securing critical infrastructure through identity and credential solutions, and Karl delves into how technologies like behavioral and cognitive biometrics are shaping the future of authentication. The conversation tackles the looming threat of quantum computing to traditional cryptography, the urgent need ...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 161
This week, the ID Talk podcast welcomes Blair Cohen, the Founder and President of AuthenticID. Blair is a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in identity verification and fraud prevention. He shares his journey from founding one of the world’s first background screening companies to pioneering innovations in digital identity, including the development of automated facial recognition and forensic document examination technologies. The conversation dives into key issues shapi...
Nov 25, 2024•42 min•Ep. 160
On this week's episode of the ID Talk podcast, FaceTec's Jay Meier returns to answer some follow-up questions about his firm's innovative new "UR Code" solution. Whereas Jay had previously offered an overview of the solution, which essentially ties the biometric and biographic data of a registered individual to a QR code, this time he delves into some of the more technical aspects of the protocol, while also fleshing out the big picture of what it means for identity verification. Among other thi...
Nov 12, 2024•57 min•Ep. 159
This week, the ID Talk podcast welcomes Terence Kwok, the founder and CEO of Humanity Protocol—a blockchain-based digital ID project that uses palm vein biometrics to verify that each of its users is indeed a real human being, and not a bot. Having only just launched this year, Humanity Protocol is a very new project. But it has gained steam quickly, having drawn 25,000 registrations within the first 24 hours of the launch of its testnet, and quickly racing to accrue hundreds of thousands of use...
Nov 04, 2024•55 min•Ep. 158
This week on the ID Talk podcast, we present a fascinating conversation with two experts from the Security Industry Association: Ronald Hawkins, Director of Industry Relations, and Senior Director of Government Relations Jake Parker. Ron and Jake join the pod to discuss some of the intriguing findings from the most recent SIA Security Market Index, starting with its finding of a relatively upbeat mood among those working in the security industry despite a number of challenges and a great deal of...
Oct 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 157
FaceTec's Jay Meier returns to the ID Talk podcast to delve deeper into his company's important new solution for identity verification—the UR Code. Officially announced at September's Identity Week America event in Washington, D.C., the UR Code is essentially a QR code that operates as a biometric ID. An issuing authority – such as a Department of Motor Vehicles – encodes the biometric and biographic data of an individual into the code, which can then be scanned and matched to the person's face,...
Oct 18, 2024•54 min•Ep. 156
