The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) decided to temporarily pause the enrollment of all new L1 devices as a security precaution in late 2024 because of a security incident at one competitor’s Aadhaar integration. The UIDAI implemented new stringent liveness detection and anti-spoofing guidelines and testing procedures as part of its Aadhaar’s biometric specifications. The testing has involved spoofing attempts using multiple different types of material and spoofing methods. Till now only three OEMs have been able to pass this test. NEXT’s partner ACPL has now passed all the relevant tests. Consequently, NEXT’s India shipments will resume, and shipments are as communicated earlier expected to be normalized during Q1 and Q2 2025.
Ulf Ritsvall, Chief Executive Officer at NEXT, commented:
“I am very pleased to receive this confirmation from our partner ACPL. Our team is eager to resume business as usual in India. Once again, I want to emphasize that the security incident leading to additional tests and the temporary pause in the use of L1 sensors relates to a competing technology—one that does not apply to our Active Thermal® technology.
As expected, NEXT’s FAP 20 sensor has delivered outstanding results in the tests. I strongly believe that UIDAI’s decision to strengthen the entry barriers to Aadhaar will ultimately benefit NEXT in the long run. Our NEXT Active Thermal® sensor technology already surpassed competing solutions, particularly in detecting liveness in fingerprints. As fewer players meet the stringent L1 certification requirements, I anticipate that NEXT will further solidify its market position and expand its share in India.”
For more information, please contact:
Ulf Ritsvall
Chief Executive Officer, NEXT
ulf.ritsvall@nextbiometrics.com
Eirik Underthun
Chief Financial Officer, NEXT
eirik.underthun@nextbiometrics.com
About NEXT Biometrics
NEXT provides advanced fingerprint sensor technology that delivers uncompromised security and accuracy for the best possible user experience in the payment and fintech, government ID, access control and office and notebook markets. The company’s patented NEXT Active Thermal ® principle allows the development of large, high-quality fingerprint sensors with superior security level. NEXT Biometrics Group ASA is headquartered in Oslo, with sales, support, and development operations in Seattle, Taipei, Tokyo, New Delhi and Shanghai.