UIDAI to use facial recognition for Aadhaar authentication

The Unique Identification Authority of India has decided to enable face recognition to add another layer of security for inclusive authentication for Aadhaar card holders.

In a notification released on Monday, UIDAI said, "At the time of Aadhaar enrolment, the photo of the face of the resident is also captured. To provide inclusive authentication, face photo can also be leveraged to verify the identity of an Aadhaar number holder." It added that face authentication will provide "additional choice" for those having difficulty with their fingerprints/iris authentication.

@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.

— CEO UIDAI (@ceo_uidai) January 15, 2018

At present, a person has the option to give his/her biometrics—either fingerprint or iris, along with their 12-digit identity number—during authentication or e-KYC (know your customer) for accessing various benefits and services from service providers such as banks or telecom firms. Facial recognition will now serve as an “additional option” for the users.

To facilitate this authentication service, UIDAI will work with biometric device providers to integrate face modality into the certified registered devices, it said. On January 10, the UIDAI had introduced a two-step verification process to ensure that users will never have to share their Aadhaar numbers, reducing chances of its misuse and increasing privacy.