Singapore Adds Biometric Face Authentication to National ID Program

Singapore’s national digital ID platform, SingPass, now supports biometric authentication in the form of facial recognition, thanks to a collaboration between iProov, Toppan Ecquaria, and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (“GovTech”).

SingPass has been around for quite a long time now, but its technological advancement has been continuous as government authorities have refined the system over the years. It enables citizens to access government e-services to do things like file tax returns, and it’s also being used as an authentication service in the private sector, with SingPass Face Verification now available for use by financial services institutions and various businesses.

Having been selected as part of an open international tender, iProov and Toppan Ecquaria, a government-focused digital consultancy, have developed a biometric system that can now be used by the country’s four million SingPass users. The solution can be accessed through a mobile device, computer, or kiosk, and features iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance system to detect spoofing attempts.

Singapore’s implementation of face-based authentication for its national digital ID program is an ambitious move that could inspire others to do the same, suggested iProov CEO Andrew Bud in a statement announcing the development.

“This marks a tipping point for facial verification,” he said. “The technology has advanced so much in recent years that it can now provide the highest levels of reliable security for the authentication of a national digital identity program. It has been a privilege to work on this forward-thinking project with real trailblazers in national digital identity. The rest of the world will study this innovation and draw conclusions from its success.”

For GovTech’s part, the agency’s Senior Director of National Digital Identity framed the integration of face-based authentication as part of SingPass’s broader evolution and expansion. “SingPass Face Verification, under our National Digital Identity (NDI) programme, will help partners enhance their customer service journeys,” he said. “We will continue to extend useful and trusted NDI services to more private sector organisations to accelerate digitalisation and grow Singapore’s digital economy.”

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September 22, 2020 – by Alex Perala