Hong Kong rolls out ID cards with higher resolution photos for facial biometrics

New Hong Kong identity cards featuring higher resolution photos to support facial biometrics are being introduced for residents getting their first card at 11 or 18 years old, those with lost or damaged cards, and new arrivals to the city, ahead of a complete replacement of the existing cards, the South China Morning Post reports.

The new ID cards, which are required by all residents, also include updated security details such as RFID technology.

New cards will be distributed to replace all 8.8 million old cards in use over the next four years. People born in 1985 and 1986 will have replacement IDs processed between January 21 and March 30, 2019. Residents can get the new cards from self-service kiosks at nine collection centers in the city, or by booking appointments online on through an app.

The steady increase of biometric adoption in Hong Kong this year includes the deployment of facial recognition at two border checkpoints between the island and Shenzhen to catch people dodging tax on goods.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID cards  |  facial recognition  |  Hong Kong  |  identity document