Face biometric image quality tool evolves with next ISO standard A new and improved version of the face biometric data quality measurement tool that is the reference implementation for the global face image quality standard is coming soon. The secunet development team behind OFIQ 2 is attempting to time the revised tool’s development with that of its associated standard, which is expected to be finalized by the end of 2027. The OFIQ (Open Source Face Image Quality) tool was discussed in a pair of recent European Association for Biometrics (EAB) events, one last week in collaboration with UNHCR, and the OFIQ user group meeting on Tuesday. Each was hosted by Christoph Busch, who is a member of SC37 Working Group 3 in addition to his work with ATHENE and Hochschule Darmstadt. Europe’s EES biometric border control system spurred interest in face image quality assessment, he notes. The ISO/IEC 29794-1:2024 standard for general biometric data quality was recently revised, Busch says, and it is being augmented with assessment methodology for demographic variability. For face biometrics, Busch reviewed the factors that go into data quality and how to evaluate the predictive value of quality assessments based on a comparison of errors versus discarded samples. OFIQ 2 is currently under development, and builds in demographic variability considerations. Other changes could include guidance on whether image distortion is caused by a defocused camera or subject motion. An independent evaluation of OFIQ by NIST was presented to the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) last week. The evaluation shows the false non-match rate falling as lower-quality samples are discarded in a test of 500,000 images from a visa database. OFIQ in operation The UNHCR is working on a research paper to present its findings using OFIQ thresholds for enrollments in operational settings. Business Analyst Ryo