Visas, passports and government ID secured using hybrid NFC and hologram tags

Government-issued documents such as visas and passports could be secured using a combination of NFC and hologram technology, following the announcement of a partnership between printed electronics specialist Thinfilm and authentication solutions provider Holoptica.

Davor Sutija Thinfilm CEO
SAFER ENVIRONMENT: Thinfilm CEO Davor Sutija’s pledge on partnership

The anti-counterfeiting solution features a hybrid tag to create documents that, the companies say, cannot be forged and can be rendered invalid in the event of theft.

The NFC chip in Thinfilm’s SpeedTap tag allows government officials and consumers to connect to the document’s certified digital twin and verify authenticity with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone.

Counterfeiting of documents such as work permits, passports and visas is estimated to generate more than US$10bn every year on the black market.

Document fraud

“Combining Thinfilm’s SpeedTap tags with Holoptica’s high-security SmartMark hologram creates a highly effective yet economical solution in the fight against counterfeiters,” says George Perkous, Holoptica’s CEO.

“We’re excited about the role these innovative tags can play in effectively addressing the document security needs of governments and related authorities around the globe.”

“Document fraud costs governments and businesses billions of dollars each year and directly contributes to the growth of global terrorist activity,” adds Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm.

“We’re pleased to work with Holoptica in delivering a comprehensive anti-counterfeiting solution that strengthens ID-based document programs and helps create safer environments worldwide.”

Earlier this month, Italian olive oil brands Buonamici, La Ranocchiaia, SPO and Il Cavallino announced they were integrating NFC tags provided by Thinfilm into their product lines to enable authentication and enhance consumer engagement, by delivering product information and other relevant content to customers’ smartphones.

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