Acuity Celebrates Mainstream Acceptance of Biometric Tech

Acuity Market Intelligence is taking some time to reflect on the state of the biometrics industry as it enters another decade. In doing so, the research firm highlights some of the major trends that helped biometric tech transition from a fringe concept to an everyday reality for millions of people around the world.

The firm believes that facial recognition has been particularly crucial in that regard. Acuity argues that Apple’s introduction of Face ID helped people get used to the concept of biometric authentication, essentially “training” consumers to be more comfortable with the technology.

Since then, more than 35 vendors have launched some form of biometric onboarding, while financial institutions are increasingly relying on biometric authentication as a secure way to authorize transactions. Acuity suggests that facial recognition has achieved mainstream acceptance, though it did acknowledge that there are some lingering concerns about privacy and accuracy (especially as it relates to racial bias).

Facial recognition was also an integral component of biometric screening initiatives at international airports. Acuity has repeatedly emphasized the enormous potential for the airport biometrics market as airport operators and border control agencies search for ways to make passenger processing more efficient. The firm predicts that hundreds of thousands of biometric touchpoints will be deployed within the next ten years.

However, the biometrics industry still needs to overcome several security issues if it wants people to trust the new technology. Manufacturers will need to deliver strong liveness detection to guard against spoofing and identity fraud.

Acuity also noted that companies will need to be aware of the rapidly evolving regulatory environment, especially in the wake of the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The firm believes that the act (along with the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act) will soon become the standard across the US, forcing tech companies to respond while bringing the country more in line with Europe’s GDPR standards.

In other news, Acuity revealed that it will be making some of its archived reports more widely available through the company website. The decision was made in an effort to improve accountability and provide more insight into the evolution of the biometrics industry.

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January 9, 2020 – by Eric Weiss