Converus Says EyeDetect Technology Can Help Reduce Worldwide Corruption
Transparency International just released its annual report of corruption statistics and ratings by country. Latin American countries, where Converus is currently focusing its marketing efforts, continue to display high levels of corruption.
Transparency International’s just-released corruption report shows many Latin America governments are mired in illegal activities like bribes, fraud and theft.
LEHI, Utah – Dec. 9, 2014 – Technology start-up Converus says Transparency International’s recently released report on worldwide corruption validates the importance of and need for EyeDetect — a new lie detection method for assessing individuals for unethical or criminal behavior. Transparency International, a non-profit watchdog group dedicated to uncovering corruption and promoting government transparency, released the 20th edition of its annual corruption perceptions index on Dec. 3.
More than two-thirds of the 175 countries reviewed received a score of less than 50 on a scale of 0-100. While no country is completely corruption-free, the level varies considerably between countries. Denmark, with a score of 92, is the least corrupt country. However, Somalia and North Korea were tied with a score of 8 — making them the world’s most corrupt countries. The report is based on the opinions of experts about individual countries’ private sector corruption.
“The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that economic growth is undermined and efforts to stop corruption fade when leaders and high level officials abuse power to appropriate public funds for personal gain,” said José Ugaz, the chair of Transparency International.
Of particular interest to Converus are countries in Latin America, where the company has focused its initial marketing efforts and already has several Premier Service Providers established. Many of these countries reflect a long-term trend of placement in the “red zone” — a score of 50 or lower — indicating that corruption is at its most pervasive among government, businesses and the population at large. For example, the report indicates that in Mexico, company employees commit 47 percent of all theft of goods and money.
In the Americas, Canada, Barbados, the U.S., Chile and Uruguay were the least corrupt, while Venezuela, Haiti, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Honduras were the most corrupt.
“EyeDetect is the perfect modern-day tool to help reduce corruption,” said Converus President and CEO Todd Mickelsen. “World governments that incorporate this cost-effective technology could easily save millions of dollars in reducing internal theft and bribes.”
EyeDetect, the world’s first ocular-motor lie detection method, monitors eye behavior to detect deception. Examinees, after having their eyes calibrated to a high-speed Eye Tracker, answer a series of true/false questions on a computer. Unlike the polygraph, the EyeDetect test is nonintrusive, can be completed in just 30 minutes, and is at least 85 percent accurate. When used in conjunction with a polygraph, organizations can achieve a deception detection accuracy rate of more than 98 percent.
“Our science team found that the pupil reacts involuntarily to an increase in cognitive load, and for that reason EyeDetect has shown a superior level of accuracy compared to all other lie detection solutions on the market used to pre-screen job candidates and to conduct periodic evaluations of current employees,” said Mickelsen. “Our technology can help governmental entities create a culture of honesty and integrity by performing pre-employment and periodic employee screenings to monitor for involvement in crimes, stealing, bribes, drug use, money laundering, identity theft and more.”
For more information, visit www.converus.com.
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About Converus
Converus (“with truth”) is committed to providing trustworthy credibility assessment solutions. Its flagship product, EyeDetect® — a product first conceived in 2002 — is the first ocular-motor deception detection solution. It’s an accurate, cost-effective, efficient, secure and nonintrusive method that detects deception in 30 minutes by analyzing eye behavior. The same scientists credited with computerizing the polygraph in 1991 developed EyeDetect. It’s a new way for organizations to manage risk and ensure workplace integrity, and for law enforcement agencies and governments to detect deception. Ultimately, it helps protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, fraud and threats. The company is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, USA. For more information, visit www.converus.com.
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Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR / +1 480.606.8292
