Russian govt working to popularize biometrics in domestic market

The Russian government is making significant efforts to popularize biometric technologies in the country, despite a low trust level to them from local citizens and a high threat of personal data leakage.

According to data from Russian research agency RBC, in 2023, approximately 170 million records with personal data were stolen from Russian banks and financial companies, which is by 3.2 times higher than in 2022.

As the level of financial security in Russia remains low, many Russian citizens are still not ready to supply their biometric personal data to the local state and have small knowledge about biometrics. This is despite the fact that biometric technologies have been developing in Russia for over a decade.

For example, according to Andrei Emelin, head of the National Council of the Financial Market (NCFM) — the Russian research agency in the field of biometrics and finance — the collection and processing of biometric data by commercial organizations has been carried out in one way or another in Russia for quite a long time.

“Prior to 2017, there was a set of commercial systems in Russia that operated on the basis of the existing federal law on personal data, which allowed (with the special consent of the client) the collection of certain biometrics data: photo, voice, fingerprints, retinal pattern, etc.”

Officially, biometrics became a subject of legal regulation in Russia only at the end of 2017, after the adoption of amendments to the federal law “On Banks and Banking Activities” (482-FZ). In 2018, by the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development, the Unified Biometric System (UBS) was created, which later received the status of a state information system (GIS). The Russian Center for Biometric Technologies (CBT) was appointed its official operator.

In summer of 2023, the new federal law “On the identification and authentication of individuals using biometrics (572-FZ)” was approved by the Russian Parliament, which obliged commercial structures, that previously collected biometric data from citizens, to transfer them to the UBS, destroying their own storage facilities.

As Maksut Shadayev, Russia’s minister of digital development said in remarks prepared for the Digital Astana 2024 business forum, at present about 18 million Russians have complete biometric profiles, while these figures are constantly growing. There are 110 million Russians with a digital ID, 19 million with digitized personal ID documents, and 10 million who have registered electronic signatures, he said, as reported by Texnoxrum.com. About 70 million Russians have submitted some form of biometric data to either the government or private institutions like banks, according to Riddle Russia.

At present the Russian state remains the main “operator” of biometrics in the country by issuing foreign passports, processing data in the EBS and providing other services on the basis of biometrics. Analysts expect the government will continue the introduction of new standards in the field of biometrics during the period of 2024-2025, that will contribute to the further growth of biometrics sector in Russia. So far, the efforts of the state in this field have already brought some results, as the range of the use of biometrics in Russia has significantly increased in recent years being actively used in various spheres. An example of this became the first marriage registration using biometric identification in the Voronezh region, when the couple confirmed their identity using a tablet.

According to press-service of CBT, during the period of 2024-2025 the range of services, provided on the basis of biometrics in Russia will be further expanded by allowing Russian citizens to pay for travel in regional metropolitan areas; to board long-distance trains; to receive service at the Multifunctional Public Services Center, confirm their age when purchasing “18+ goods,” and checking into hotels without presenting documents.

Currently the city of Moscow remains one of the main «test grounds» of biometric technologies and a center of their use in Russia.

According to comments emailed to Biometric Update from Deputy Mayor of Moscow Maxim Liksutov, citing on the data of the Moscow Department of Transport at present more than 330,000 users of city’s public transport are already connected to the biometric payment system.

“Every day, about 150,000 people pass in the subway with biometric identification of their face. There are plans to introduce biometrics also in buses, electric buses and trams of the city of Moscow. At the same time, it is important that the person himself decides whether to use biometrics or not.”

This is just the beginning, as it is planned, by 2030, a single biometric digital travel card will be created for all types of transport in Moscow and other large cities of Russia.

In the meantime, another ambitious state initiative involves the collection of biometric data from Russians living abroad – in a move to provide them an access to some state services. As Vladislav Povolotsky, head of CBT, said during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum — once of the most important annual events in Russia and Europe — Russians who are living overseas will be given an  opportunity to submit biometric data in order to use financial services being outside the country.

“For us, it is very important to give citizens of the Russian Federation an opportunity to receive certain financial services outside the territory of the country, but, of course, we will make sure that will be a trusted history of interaction between different states recognized by each other.”

Still, one of the main limiting factors for more active use of biometrics in Russia is the issue of personal data protection and low level of trust in such technologies among local citizens. An example is the recent collapse which took place in the Russian Public Services Centers in September, 2023, when thousands of Russian citizens submitted their applications to refuse from further collection and storage of biometric data. That became the result of massive receipts of fake messages in messengers, which informed that citizens with biometrics will allegedly be forced to take photographs through ATM cameras, while their voices will be automatically recorded by their smartphones.

Moreover, many local citizens are also unhappy with the ways of introduction of biometric technologies in Russia.

Alexandra Koval, a senior researcher at the Russian Center for Competence and Analysis of OECD Standards of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, told Biometric Update in an email that the current Russian approach to collecting biometric data is highly centralized, which sparks serious concerns.

“The EBS, which was formed in Russia was created by the initiative of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia. That means that the initiative to collect biometric data is introduced directly by the government. A similar approach is being taken in India, where most of the population is covered by the national Aadhaar system. At the same time, many countries are moving towards certification of biometric system providers and developing an ecosystem of private service providers.”

Koval believes amid the conditions of high risks of cybersecurity and data leakage it is difficult for Russian citizens to trust centralized systems for collecting biometric data, particularly those which are powered by the state.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  data collection  |  data protection  |  Russia  |  Unified Biometrics System