Biometrics Institute paper addresses challenges of remote onboarding pivot for members

The Biometrics Institute has published guidance for members to help decision-makers implementing or considering using biometrics to sign-up new accounts.

The new ‘Digital Onboarding and Biometrics’ paper provides a high-level overview of the intersection between biometrics and digital identity onboarding. Onboarding for higher-security services that have traditionally relied on in-person sign-ups requires proof of identity to link the digital service to the specific person, the organization points out. Customers have heightened convenience expectations, however, due to simple sign-on processes for some applications. Meeting them while providing strong identity proof often means using biometrics.

Topics covered in the paper include the re-use of an existing digital identity, considerations in the process of binding a digital identity to an individual, de-duplication, watchlist screening, guidance for strategy formulation, and ethical and responsible decisions for biometric applications. The latter is explained with specific reference to the Institute’s Good Practice Framework.

“Many of our members have had to pivot the way they do business since social distancing swept the globe,” says Isabelle Moeller, chief executive of the Biometrics Institute. “Our Digital Identity Group has poured its extensive expertise into this paper to guide our members in ensuring that where they use biometrics in remote onboarding, they do so responsibly. As with all our publications it has gone through a rigorous review process and presents a balanced view on the issues.”

The report was authored by the Institute’s Digital Identity Group, which included Daon Asia-Pacific, Mastercard, and government agencies from Singapore, Australia and the UK.

“This paper provides clear guidance for decision-makers considering remote onboarding using biometrics,” explains Brett Feldon, head of the Biometrics Institute’s Digital Identity Group. “Anyone considering remote digital onboarding should get usable insight from it. The paper represents an important contribution in support of the global digital identity community, in that it provides clear, non-technical guidance for digital leaders.”

The Biometrics Institute recently published a paper available to non-members exploring the arguments for and against banning facial recognition.

Article Topics

best practices  |  biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  Biometrics Institute  |  deduplication  |  digital identity  |  facial recognition  |  onboarding  |  remote authentication