Selfie biometrics app for farmers launches in Australia; digital ID program looms
The nostalgic image of the agrarian farmer is pixelating in Australia, where AgPick Technology, an agritech provider based out of Aldinga, is now offering a face biometric authentication app designed to protect growers, suppliers and pickers from identity fraud.
The global fresh produce and banana news trade publication Fresh Plaza reports that the AgPick app usesface biometrics and commercially available AI functionality to verify worker selfies and match their registered identity to details logged in the AgPick data store, such as visa status and payment methods. Any Android device can be used to capture the face image, and matching is immediate.
“Growers want to know who is on their farm,” says Henrietta Child, CEO of AgPick, calling the app “an extra layer of security to protect growers from Fair Work breaches, support their insurance coverage, and protect them from ID fraud.” Increased efficiency in administration and payments are also among AgPick’s promised benefits, as is less reliance on physical IDs.
The app’s verification framework is typical of selfie-based systems: workers register ID details and three face photos upon enrolment. When signing in, they take a selfie, which is matched to the biometric metadata of their face for verification. Captured data on worker activity and performance is then stored for monitoring via the AgPick Reporting Portal.
This could be the year Australia sees a national digital ID
Fraud prevention and data security are major factors driving Australia’s national digital ID program, which, according to Crikey’s Cam Wilson, could finally happen in 2024. Digital ID has been a touch-and-go affair for Canberra, with public education and concerns about surveillance presenting ongoing challenges. But the interest is there, and Wilson points to recent data breaches and generational turnover as factors that could push plans over the line to actualization.
The government has priced the proposed expansion of the existing MyGovID system at roughly $800 million Australian (roughly US$535 million), including the establishment of a regulatory body. The scheme faces familiar questions about data security, convenience versus risk, and intent versus actual use. However, Wilson says the biggest hurdle to successful implementation of a national digital ID scheme might still be communication – noting that “most Australians still have no idea that this is even happening.”
