Face Recognition Authentication Appears Unstoppable As Security Trumps Privacy Concerns.
Face Recognition Authentication Appears Unstoppable – Face recognition as a highly secure authentication methods in multiple applications continues to gain serious momentum to the point it now appears the technology is unstoppable.
What’s interesting from a security industry point of view is that the drivers are external and predicated on issues like cyber security, high security, car entry, online payments, and touchless access convenience to government services and large events. Once enshrined as the gold standard for a national digital ID, face recognition will become the most trusted identifier.
As a case in point, at the Australian Open tennis tournament recently, Wicket face authentication technology was used by Ticketmaster to drive its AO Express Entry, which allowed ticketholders arriving at ‘premium experience entry points’ to opt for use of biometrics after linking a selfie to their Ticketmaster account. Ticketmaster said use of the technology will be expanded in 2025 – Wicket’s technology is widely used in stadiums across the United States.
Meanwhile MyGov’s roadmap digital ID system recommends the implementation of FIDO2 authentication standards that will allow Australians to use face recognition and fingerprints, as well as PINs, to access government services. The shift has come after a series of identity scams that have cost government billions of dollars.
Face Recognition Authentication Appears Unstoppable
Australia’s Identity Verification Services Bill 2023 was criticised for lacking data and privacy protection guarantees and while there’s work to be done, the pressure to assure identity using a national digital ID to eliminate scams and protect citizens using online private and government services is intense.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australia’s digital identity competition regulator, took a limited tender to market recently seeking providers to build national digital ID system platform.
Details were thin on the ground, and it’s not known it any local companies were included in the invite – nor has cost been published. But the fact scoping a solution has shifted to operational considerations of a secure database is the key.
Meanwhile overseas the torrent of digital authentication projects at local and national level suggest face recognition technology will be the break-out digital identifier – there are simply too many projects across too many countries to list.
What does this mean for security providers? It means the debate on behalf of facial recognition is going to be carried by powerful voices with serious and valid concerns that identity fraud is so rife that an assured solution must be found. That solution is likely to become authentication’s gold standard.
More details about new legislation in the Australian Senate to strengthen and expand Australia’s Digital ID System here and more SEN news here.
“Face Recognition Authentication Unstoppable As Security Trumps Privacy Concerns.”
