A major payment processing company in the UK is exploring the use of facial recognition for card transactions. The company, called Worldpay, says it already has pilot projects underway.
The general idea is to install small, upwards-facing cameras that can capture an image of a user’s face as she enters her PIN code into a card reader. That image is then converted into a biometric template, which is linked to the user’s PIN card and stored in a Worldpay database. That record would constantly be updated with each new transaction, building a robust profile for biometric matching and authentication.
The move appears to be part of a larger trend as the implementation of biometric authentication into everyday card transactions gains traction. Visa has just begun a trial of its own fingerprint-based biometric authentication specification for EMV cards, for example.
But Worldpay’s system is notable for its use of facial recognition, and remarkable for another reason: The company is considering implementing it and enrolling customers automatically. That could potentially lead to privacy rights concerns and general consumer discomfort over involuntarily being subjected to facial recognition. But Worldpay sees it as a means of improving customer security without any extra hassle related to registration.
For now, though, the company is still testing out the idea.
Source: Yahoo News
—
September 30, 2015 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us