Facial recognition deployed for ATMs in Spain, POS systems in Brazil and relief payments in Australia

CaixaBank has installed biometric facial recognition-enabled ATMs across Spain, enhanced with cameras and software that can process 16,000 facial points, Atalayar reports.

The bank is the first financial institution to install an ATM that allows cash withdrawals without requesting a PIN code, according to the report. CaixaBank first introduced ATM withdrawals using facial recognition in February 2019, following a partnership with FacePhi and Fujitsu.

Some ATMs are currently active in a number of offices in Barcelona and Valencia. Future plans include installing the technology in over 30 offices in the country to make sure it reaches all communities. Overall, the institution will install some 100 ATMs by mid-July 2020. This will make it one of the largest facial recognition-powered ATM networks in the world.

CaixaBank’s CEO Gonzalo Gortázar emphasized the importance of customer experience and that of reducing physical contact amid COVID-19 by providing “security and agility in transactions.” The system was recognized for its security level by The Banker in 2019.

Brazilian bank introduces biometric facial recognition payments

Brazilian bank Banco Original together with digital wallet PicPay are releasing a biometric facial recognition system for payments, available in 800,000 points of sale (POSs) by the end of the year, according to LABS.

The payments authentication system is currently being assessed on 2,000 users at the bank’s headquarters in São Paulo, where the cashier uses a tablet to take pictures of Original or PicPay app users. The user receives a notification through the app to confirm the transaction. The process takes 30 seconds.

By the end of the year, the technology will be available for 23.6 million customers. As of next year, Brazil’s the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) will come into effect, requiring user consent for facial recognition use.

The bank says the system can also be used by people wearing masks. Since 2019, the bank has been actively using facial recognition in its services, which has led to its current use by 1 million customers.

In an interview with Valor, Raul Moreira, Original’s executive IT director, mentioned a possible integration with PIX, an instant payment platform supported by the Central Bank.

Services Australia uses biometric facial recognition to deliver bushfire relief payments

During the Black Summer bushfires, Services Australia used the national facial biometrics database to match people’s identities, in case their documents had been lost or damaged, to successfully provide them with relief payments, writes ITnews.

The use of “a face verification service and biometric alignment around proof of identity” was confirmed by Services Australia deputy chief Michelle Lees.

The action was revealed earlier this year by the Department of Home Affairs during senate estimates, but no additional details were provided. The database is part of the national driver license facial recognition system.

In the bushfire situation, people’s facial images were captured with a webcam and matched against the cross-border database.

“[The matching process] involved, firstly, explaining to the person that was making the claim what the face verification service meant,” Lees said.

“That meant matching a photograph of their face with the other identification documents. There was a webcam where it actually took the image and through a portal matching it up the other existing photographic ID, whether it be passport, visa or driver’s licenses. There were a small number of instances where the individuals did not give consent, and so we went through the usual proof of identity mechanism for those individuals.”

Lees confirmed the system was used outside of Victoria and South Australia, with future plans including its deployment across all impacted locations. Services Australia reports the service has so far been used by hundreds of Australians.

“We continue to look at how we might build out the FVS and biometric identity utilization more broadly,” Lees said. “There is work elsewhere within the Commonwealth looking at digital identity, and we will continue to look at how we might best leverage those technologies as they improve. There were some learnings about how we could best use the existing FVS through this approach, and we’re implementing changes accordingly.”

Article Topics

ATMs  |  Australia  |  banking  |  biometric payments  |  biometrics  |  Brazil  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  POS  |  Spain