Seven steps to implement biometrics digital identity

Biometrics for digital identities is making waves in governments across the world. Singapore has said that biometrics will be a focus, while Australia is developing a facial recognition system.

India has just made it mandatory for online government services to consider biometrics. There are seven questions governments must ask when implementing biometric authentication for digital access, a report by Microsoft advises.

They are:

• Do you have a central biometrics system?
• Where are the biometrics matched?
• Are biometrics the only factor get access?
• How are the biometrics data stored?
• How is this information protected?
• Can it be used to track activity in other apps?
• How easily can biometrics be spoofed by hackers?

Privacy is a big concern for citizens sharing their fingerprints or iris scans with the government. These should be given the same level of protection as other personal data, such as medical records, financial information and employment history.

Additionally, people should be informed of who is collecting their biometric data, why it is being collected, how it will be used, where it will be stored and who will have access to it.

If you would like to learn more about biometric digital identity from Microsoft, download the full report below.

Image by The U.S. Army - CC BY 2.0