:IDEMIA

Morpho Systèmes was created in 1982, then absorbed by Sagem in 1993. In 2005, when Safran was created, Sagem became Sagem Défense Sécurité and in 2007, a separate company, Sagem Sécurité was created. It was renamed Morpho in 2010 (the name was derived from Morpho Systems S.A., a 1980s fingerprint identification firm{{cite news|title=Night Stalker Case Demonstrates Effectiveness of Systems : Market Developing for Fingerprint Computers|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-12-fi-21148-story.html|newspaper=LA Times|date=12 September 1985 }}), then Safran Identity & Security in 2016.

Morpho acquired several companies through its constitution. In 2005, Sagem Défense Sécurité acquired ORGA Kartensysteme GmbH which would be renamed Sagem Orga. In 2009, Safran acquired 81% of GE Homeland Protection, a wholly owned affiliate of the General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). On July 26, 2011 Safran completed the acquisition of L-1 Identity Solutions.[http://www.morpho.com/actualites-et-evenements/press/safran-completes-the-acquisition-of-l-1-identity-solutions-becomes-world-leader-in-biometric-identity-solutions?lang=en Safran completes the acquisition of L-1 Identity Solutions Becomes world leader in biometric identity solutions] Today, it is mainly part of MorphoTrust USA Inc. The company itself dates back over 50 years, from the time the first photo was added to a U.S. driver's license. In December 2015 Morpho (Safran) announced its acquisition of AirTag.{{Cite web|url=https://findbiometrics.com/morpho-mpayment-airtag-212101/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714025949/https://findbiometrics.com/morpho-mpayment-airtag-212101/|archive-date = 2019-07-14|title = December 10, 2015}}

In the 2020 report Out of Control{{Cite web|date=2020-10-21|title=Out of Control: Failing EU Laws for digital surveillance|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/document/?indexNumber=EUR01%2f2556%2f2020&language=en|access-date=2020-09-21|website=Amnesty International|language=en|id=EUR 01/2556/2020}} Amnesty International criticized Morpho for supplying "facial recognition equipment directly to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau in 2015."{{Cite web|title=EU companies selling surveillance tools to China's human rights abusers|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/09/eu-surveillance-sales-china-human-rights-abusers/|access-date=2020-09-21|website=Amnesty International|date=21 September 2020 |language=en}}

In 2007, the activities of Oberthur Card Systems, Oberthur Fiduciaire and Oberthur Cash Protection, companies initially originating from Imprimerie Oberthur, founded in 1842 in Rennes by François-Charles Oberthür, were merged into a single entity, Oberthur Technologies.

In September 2016, Safran announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Advent International, the owner of Oberthur Technologies since 2011, to sell its identity and security activities and the transaction was finalized on 31 May 2017. Oberthur Technologies (OT) and Safran Identity & Security (Morpho) were joining forces to create OT-Morpho, then renamed as IDEMIA on September 28.

The new company is specialized in biometric identification and security, as well as secure payments{{Cite web|last=Gershgorn|first=Dave|date=2020-06-09|title=A Single Company Will Now Operate Facial Recognition for Nearly 800 Million People|url=https://onezero.medium.com/idemia-will-operate-facial-recognition-for-nearly-800-million-people-69b72582202b|access-date=2020-06-18|website=Medium|language=en}} with the aim of converging technologies developed for the public sector (by the former Morpho) and those for the private sector (by Oberthur Technologies).

On 15 October 2018 Yann Delabrière replaced Didier Lamouche as President & CEO.

On 1 July 2020, Pierre Barrial was appointed as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Group; Yann Delabrière returned to his role as chairman of the board with effect from July 1, 2020.

IDEMIA has developed biometric bank cards where the PIN code is replaced by the user's fingerprint. Fingerprint technology is currently being tested internally by banking institutions  and would make it possible to secure contactless payment from the first euro. Fingerprint verification is done directly on the card and no fingerprint-related elements are transmitted to the merchant nor the bank.

In response to the growing demand from companies to use contactless access control devices to guarantee both a secure and hygienic method of identity verification, IDEMIA offers biometric terminals that use facial recognition or enable fingerprint recognition.

This represents the company's historical core business. It develops the latest technologies in the field of biometrics.{{Cite web|date=2019-09-06|title=Tech 24 - IFA 2019 : la high-tech fait sa rentrée à Berlin|url=https://www.france24.com/fr/20190906-ifa-berlin-galaxy-fold-sony-8k-idemia-identite-biometrie-reconnaissance-faciale|access-date=2020-06-18|website=France 24|language=fr}}

The facial recognition technologies proposed by IDEMIA allow for smooth passage through the airport or stadium entrances and are also used to spot people banned from the stadium, identify fugitives in crowds or check the identity of people entering reserved areas. The company has many references in the police field or in the civil field: United States, United Arab Emirates, Albania, or India with the Aadhaar project whose objective is to provide a unique 12-digit number to each Indian citizen after enrolment of their biometric data (iris, fingerprints, portrait for 1.3 billion people) allowing these citizens to open a bank account, access microcredit or receive social benefits.

IDEMIA produced 3 billion identity documents (passports, identity cards, driving licences, etc.) worldwide in 2020.{{Cite web|title=The global leader in Augmented Identity|url=https://www.idemia.com/|access-date=2020-06-18|website=IDEMIA|language=en}}

On the market of states and government services, IDEMIA participates in particular in the efforts of the United Nations Organisation to give everyone an identity by 2030{{Cite web|date=2019-09-06|title=Tech 24 - IFA 2019 : la high-tech fait sa rentrée à Berlin|url=https://www.france24.com/fr/20190906-ifa-berlin-galaxy-fold-sony-8k-idemia-identite-biometrie-reconnaissance-faciale|access-date=2020-06-18|website=France 24|language=fr}} (in Africa or India, more than 1.1 billion people still do not have a legal existence).{{Cite web|date=2019-06-20|title=How lack of documentation impacts Africa|url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2019/06/20/how-lack-of-documentation-impacts-africa/|access-date=2020-06-18|website=CNBC Africa|language=en-US}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2024}}

Morpho was a specialist in airport border solutions, these solutions are now carried by IDEMIA. Based on biometrics (fingerprints, facial recognition or iris recognition), the company offers semi-automated or automated solutions that enable a person's biometrics to be associated with that of his or her identity document, such as the ID2Travel solution.

Singapore's Changi Airport has implemented biometric services provided by IDEMIA to identify and authenticate travelers as they pass through Terminals 3 and 4 of the airport. In Singapore, these services also equip Seletar airport and are also being adapted for other markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

IDEMIA develops solutions to improve the payment card. Thus the company carries out research such as the implementation of fingerprint recognition in the 0.8 millimeter thickness of a card or the dynamic change the visual cryptogram.{{Cite web|date=2019-09-23|title=Payments: Ramping up credit card security with a dynamic security code|url=http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/payments-ramping-credit-card-security-dynamic-security-code|access-date=2020-06-18|website=The Edge Markets}} In addition, the company is able to manufacture custom cards in small series adapted to each of its customers, including cards made with recycled plastic.{{Cite web|title=IDEMIA partners with RHB Bank to launch the first recycled debit card in Asia Pacific|url=https://www.idemia.com/press-release/idemia-partners-rhb-bank-launch-first-recycled-debit-card-asia-pacific-2020-06-15|access-date=2020-06-18|website=IDEMIA|date=15 June 2020|language=en}}

IDEMIA provides products to various federal and state government entities in the United States and is the leading provider in the issuance of driver's licences.

IDEMIA owns IdentoGO, a company that operates hundreds of storefronts in the United States which offer "state-of-the-art electronic fingerprint capture capabilities as well as other identity-related products and services." IdentoGO is an authorized service provider for the United States federal government, and as such provides identity verification services for multiple Transportation Security Administration programs, including TSA PreCheck and the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.{{cite web|url=https://www.identogo.com/about|title=Convenient Locations Nationwide for Identity-Related Solutions|website=IdentoGO|access-date=December 20, 2019}}

IDEMIA's facial analysis technology has also been used by various entities across the United States:

• In Florida, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has been using IDEMIA's software in their Face Analysis Comparison & Examination System (FACES) since 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/technology/facial-recognition-police.html|title=How the Police Use Facial Recognition, and Where It Falls Short|website=New York Times|date=January 12, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.perpetuallineup.org/jurisdiction/florida |title=Florida |website=The Perpetual Line-Up |access-date=January 15, 2020}}
• In Massachusetts, the Registry of Motor Vehicles has been using IDEMIA's face recognition technology to run scans against the database of driver's license photos since 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.aclum.org/en/publications/major-face-surveillance-company-releases-dystopian-tracking-tool|title=Major Face Surveillance Company Releases Dystopian Tracking Tool|website=ACLU of Massachusetts|date=June 24, 2019}}
• In Arizona, the Department of Transportation implemented a mobile identification app with IDEMIA in 2021.{{cite news |last1=McDaniel |first1=Michael |title=Arizona rolls out new Mobile ID driver's license to combat identity theft |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2021/03/25/arizona-rolls-out-mobile-id-drivers-license-combat-identity-theft/4687405001/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |work=The Arizona Republic |date=25 March 2021}}

{{See also|Biometrics#Issues_and_concerns}}

Various civil rights organizations have criticized the government's contracts with IDEMIA, expressing concerns about sharing sensitive biometric data with a private and unregulated third-party company.{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/11/tsa-plans-use-face-recognition-track-americans-through-airports|website=Electronic Frontier Foundation|access-date=December 20, 2019|date=November 9, 2017|title=TSA Plans to Use Face Recognition to Track Americans Through Airports}} Researchers have also found that facial verification and identification algorithms, including IDEMIA's algorithm specifically, exhibit systematic racial and gender bias.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Federal-study-finds-racial-bias-of-many-14919338.php|publisher=SF Gate|access-date=December 20, 2019|date=December 19, 2019|title=Federal study finds racial bias of many facial-recognition systems|first=Drew|last=Harwell}} However, in April 2020 the NIST{{Cite web|title=Idemia ranks first in NIST benchmark for iris recognition {{!}} Planet Biometrics News|url=https://www.planetbiometrics.com/article-details/i/10946/desc/idemia-ranks-first-in-nist-benchmark-for-iris-recognition/|access-date=2020-09-17|website=www.planetbiometrics.com}} (National Institute of Standards and Technology), now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, that provides technology, measurement, and standards that impact a wide range of products and technology, ranked IDEMIA 1st for iris recognition underlining its algorithms performance and accuracy.

In 2012, Safran (Sagem) was fined €50,000 by a French court for bribing public officials in Nigeria to win a €170 million contract in 2000/03 to produce identity cards.{{Cite news |date=2012-09-06 |title=Safran fined in Nigerian bribery case |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-19498916 |access-date=2023-03-07}}{{Cite news |date=2012-09-05 |title=French court fines Safran for Nigerian bribes |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/safran-fine-nigeria-idUSL6E8K5CGF20120905 |access-date=2023-03-07}}

In 2017, Morpho drew controversy for incorporating code from a Russian government-affiliated firm in fingerprint-analysis software and hiding it from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A whistleblower lawsuit was filed in U.S. federal court over the incident.{{Cite news |title=FBI Software For Analyzing Fingerprints Contains Russian-Made Code, Whistleblowers Say |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrishamby/fbi-software-contains-russian-made-code-that-could-open-a}}{{Cite news |title=Russian Hackers Could Potentially Be Stealing Your Biometric Data |url=https://www.securitysales.com/news/russian-hackers-stealing-biometric-data/67456/}}

In 2018, a group of international, French, and Egyptian non-governmental organizations accused IDEMIA of profiting from Egypt's military crackdowns on dissent and providing surveillance technology to Egypt's authoritarian government under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.{{Cite news |title=NGOs accuse French companies of contributing to state repression in Egypt, mixed response from companies |url=https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/ngos-accuse-french-companies-of-contributing-to-state-repression-in-egypt-mixed-response-from-companies/}}

In 2022, IDEMIA, alongside Thales Group, was accused of facilitating human rights abuses of refugees and migrants through their supply of border surveillance solutions.{{Cite news |title=Tech companies including Thales and IDEMIA accused of facilitating abuse of refugees and migrants through supply of border surveillance solutions; the companies did not respond |url=https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/tech-companies-including-thales-and-idemia-accused-of-facilitating-abuse-of-refugees-and-migrants-through-supply-of-border-surveillance-solutions-the-companies-did-not-respond/}}

IDEMIA was allegedly favoured in the Nepalese passport procurement process.{{Cite news |title=Nepal passport tender faces charges of favouritism |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2025/01/14/nepal-passport-tender-faces-charges-of-favouritism}}

IDEMIA and the government of South Africa have been part of a controversy, with how IDEMIA was awarded a contract for biometric surviellance technology at airports.{{Cite news |title=France’s IDEMIA drawn into another SA tender saga |url=https://www.itweb.co.za/article/frances-idemia-drawn-into-another-sa-tender-saga/j5alrMQANp1MpYQk}}{{Cite news |title=IDEMIA Faces R39 Million Lawsuit in South African Biometrics Tender Scandal |url=https://idtechwire.com/idemia-faces-r39-million-lawsuit-in-south-african-biometrics-tender-scandal/}}

• [https://www.idemia.com Official website of IDEMIA (formerly known as Morpho)]
• [https://www.identogo.com Official website of IdentoGO]

{{authority control}}

Category:Multinational companies headquartered in France

Category:Companies based in Île-de-France

Category:French companies established in 2017