Survey Finds Strong Appetite for Digital Government Services Secured by Biometrics

Citizens around the world want more digital access to government services, and are largely comfortable with the use of biometrics therein, suggest new findings from Accenture.

The findings come from a survey of about 6,000 people across Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the US. According to Accenture’s report, 86 percent said they see the digital delivery of government services “as equally or more important to them than traditional methods of public-service delivery.” Respondents also showed some considerable enthusiasm for the use of artificial intelligence in such digital services, with 51 percent saying they “would like to use an AI-enabled chatbot to learn about visa requirements for international travel,” and 55 percent saying they’d like the government to use AI to “better identify service needs”.

As for accessing these services, a substantial majority – 73 percent – said they would be willing to “provide biometric data such as fingerprints, retinal scans and voice ID to government in exchange for more-personalized services,” according to Accenture’s report. That suggests a growing familiarity and comfort with biometric authentication among citizens, perhaps thanks in part to such technologies’ growing prominence in consumer devices and interactions with businesses.

In any case, the survey data points to evolving expectations among citizens, and an increasingly healthy appetite for digital services protected by biometric technology, presenting an opportunity for government authorities to endear themselves to voters by embracing such approaches.

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September 20, 2018 – by Alex Perala