The OpenBQ Framework is an open-source platform that helps governments, humanitarian agencies, and researchers measure and improve biometric data quality — ensuring accuracy, fairness, and inclusion across digital identity systems.
Learn More Get StartedHigh-quality biometric data is essential for inclusive and trustworthy digital identity systems. In many low- and middle-income countries, poor biometric quality leads to higher exclusion rates, increased system errors, and reduced trust in national ID and welfare programs.
OpenBQ provides a standardized, transparent method to assess the quality of biometric samples — fingerprints, face, iris, and voice — ensuring that poor data capture does not translate into long-term exclusion. Built around international standards, OpenBQ is interoperable, vendor-neutral, and open for integration with existing systems.
Evaluates illumination, pose, and expression for consistent capture quality in diverse environments.
Assesses ridge clarity, contrast, and completeness to identify worn or damaged prints early.
Supports iris sharpness and voice clarity metrics to improve fallback performance and inclusion.
BQAT has been piloted or integrated in Nigeria, Morocco, and the Philippines, assessing millions of biometric records across modalities. In Nigeria, a range of low-quality captures were identified and corrected, leading to improved enrolment outcomes and retraining of field operators.
Used by NIMC to evaluate legacy fingerprint and face records; informed targeted training and device upgrades.
Used to identify poor-quality face images in PhilSys enrolment data to accelerate digital ID issuance.
Demonstration deployment validating OpenBQT’s adaptability to new ID architectures and environmental conditions.
BQAT is developed and maintained by Biometix in collaboration with MOSIP and BixeLab. Together, these partners aim to embed biometric quality assurance into digital identity systems globally.
BQAT is transitioning to the Apache 2.0 license as part of its evolution into a Digital Public Good. This ensures accessibility and encourages global collaboration while maintaining rigorous technical and ethical standards.
A governance model will be established through a multi-stakeholder steering committee (Biometix, MOSIP, UNHCR, and academic partners) to oversee technical direction, community engagement, and sustainability. Optional subscription services — such as report hosting, training, and lab validation — will sustain long-term development without restricting free access.
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