Identy.io Partners with The Exodus Road to Deploy Touchless Biometrics in Human Trafficking Investigations

Identy.io has announced a partnership with The Exodus Road, a Colorado-based nonprofit focused on dismantling human trafficking operations. Under the agreement, Identy.io is donating its touchless fingerprint and facial recognition technology to support trafficking investigations.

The numbers remain staggering. Current estimates put more than 50 million people worldwide in trafficking exploitation this year.

For law enforcement, confirming a person’s identity quickly can be critical. Victims often travel under false names, use forged documents, or carry no identification at all. A biometric check on a smartphone can bypass those obstacles, reduce reliance on fixed Automated Fingerprint Identification System terminals, and speed up field work.

Matt Parker, Chief Investigative Officer and co-founder of The Exodus Road, described trafficking as a nexus crime that demands rapid action, stating that the organization is "grateful to Identy.io for donating its touchless scanning, which will be revolutionary in maximizing law enforcement resources and expediting the ability to identify victims.”

How does it work?

The system uses a standard smartphone camera and LED flash to capture fingerprint and facial images without physical contact. Agencies can verify identities on site in real time. The same technology, available through a software development kit for Android and iOS, lets agencies integrate fingerprint authentication into mobile applications. The technology has been validated by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Jesús Aragón, Identy.io’s CEO and co-founder, said the company saw an opportunity to support The Exodus Road’s fieldwork and acted on it.

"When I first heard about The Exodus Road and the work its team is doing to combat these heinous crimes, getting involved was the obvious choice," Aragón said. "In a digital-first world, law enforcement should have the ability to quickly identify an individual using just a smartphone, and our technology makes that happen."

Since its founding in 2012, The Exodus Road reports it has helped free more than 6,000 survivors of human trafficking, assisted in over 1,800 arrests, and trained more than 56,000 officers and civilians to identify and respond to trafficking.

The partnership reflects a broader trend in public safety. Mobile, software-based identity tools are increasingly being used to support complex investigations without requiring specialized hardware.