3 Reasons Why Your Face As Aadhaar Authentication Medium Makes Sense!
Since UIDAI already has the faces captured during the time of Aadhaar Enrolment, it is just a matter of leveraging that for an additional layer of security.
Unique Identification Authority of India or UIDAI has once more sent ripples across the country, as they have introduced a new method to authenticate Aadhaar details for any citizen: Your Face.
We will soon share three reasons why this makes sense.
Aadhaar Authentication Via Face
Starting July 1st, 2018, Aadhaar users can use their face for authenticating their details for any service, across India, where Aadhaar authentication is required.
This comes after UIDAI was accused of not taking Aadhaar security seriously, as a few reporters were able to access millions of Aadhaar database for just Rs 500.
Besides providing an additional security layer for all users, this will also ease the process of Aadhaar authentication easier, and seamless.
Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO of UIDAI tweeted:
“@UIDAI introduces yet another landmark technology for authentication – Face Authentication. #AadhaarFaceAuth will help all elderly or others facing issues with fingerprint authentication. Service to be launched by 1 July 2018.”
In a statement, UIDAI said that this new face recognition will help those who are not able to authenticate Aadhaar due to issues such as fingerprints not matching or old age.
3 Reasons Why It Makes Sense?
- UIDAI will not be required to set up a new process to create or store face ids of citizens as it already has in their database. In their statement, UIDAI said that during Aadhaar enrollment drive, the face of the ID holder was already captured, which is stored in their database. All they will do now is, use it for creating an additional authentication module.
- In itself, face recognition won’t work as a standalone authentication mode: It has to used in fusion with iris authentication or fingerprint authentication. This makes the face recognition method even more powerful and strong, as there will be always two layers of authentication, against one which is the current norm.
- In order to authenticate Aadhaar users using face recognition, UIDAI won’t be required to purchase expensive gadgets or equipment, as mobile phones and laptops have a camera by default. This means that this new authentication mode will not be expensive and no additional money would be spent for executing it. The notification said, “Since the camera is now pervasively available on laptops and mobiles making the face capture easily feasible for authentication agencies without needing any additional hardware.”
UIDAI has said that face recognition method for Aadhaar authentication is an option for users; however, in case fingerprint or iris scan doesn’t match, then this method can be employed without any hassles.
You can read more about this new face recognition method in the official UIDAI circular regarding the same.
Earlier, UIDAI had introduced a unique 16-digit virtual ID for Aadhaar authentication, which made the process more secure.
We will keep you updated as we receive more details.
