While biometric data, such as facial scanning and fingerprints, means you can skip the password, it might also pose security concerns.
Imagine going to a grocery store and instead of taking out your wallet to pay for your sandwich, you wave your hand at a small scanner.
It might sound futuristic, but over three million people in the US give their biometric data to Amazon with this technology every day.
The biometric industry, which was boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue growing due to the increased use of smartphones, according to experts.
While governments are turning to biometric passports and facial recognition at borders — leaving no real choice to citizens wishing to retain their personal information — companies who want to collect their users’ personal data, still have to ask for permission.
From giving your iris scan in exchange for crypto to boarding a train with a facial scan, we take a look at what biometric data is and why you might want to keep it private.
What is biometric data and why is it used?
Biometric data is any data relative to your body that can identify you.
While facial recognition and fingerprints are some of the most commonly used features, gait analysis, analysing a person’s walk, and Amazon’s «palm signatures» also use biometric data.
Apple was one of the first companies to move to the commercial use of biometric data in 2013 with Touch ID, giving users the possibility to use their fingerprint to unlock their phones.
Today, it uses TrueDepth camera for Face ID recognition. A sensor on your phone projects about 30,000 invisible dots onto your face and creates a unique 3D map captured by an infrared camera. You’ll only be able to unlock your iPhone if your face matches the map stored on your device.
Essentially, companies in sectors such as security, health, finance and technology are using biometrics because it’s more secure than having passwords or identification documents.
«Biometric data skips some of the problems that we have with passwords,» said Melissa Goldstein, associate professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Amazon, for instance, boasts about its palm payment system One, which is «100 times more secure than scanning two irises,» and the company hasn’t seen a single false positive «after millions of interactions among hundreds of thousands of enrolled identities».