The business case for responsible biometrics

Philippe Vallée at Thales describes a responsible approach to technology innovation and development

 

The pace of change when it comes to tech innovation is, in one word, relentless. Take Generative AI as an example; it seems we can’t go a week without attention grabbing headlines or new announcements from the major companies vying to be the first to unleash its true potential. 

 

There are two downsides to this ongoing pace of change: businesses can feel unnecessary pressure to keep up; and the general public can wind up feeling unsure and distrustful of the technology. 

 

When it comes to technology, the only race that matters is the one to build truly responsible solutions. But what is a truly responsible approach to tech innovation? What does it mean and what does it look like - I like I hear you ask. 

 

At Thales, we use the following ‘TrUE’ acronym to describe what a truly responsible approach to technology adoption means: 

• Transparent: Explaining the rules by which the technology is deployed and designed, to the extent possible under the rules governing data confidentiality and protection of sensitive information. 
• Understandable:  Being able to explain and justify the use of the technology and the results in the way users can understand the data used to arrive at a conclusion.
• Ethical: The technology should follow objective standards protocols, comply with applicable laws, and promote non-discrimination and equality. 

It’s often said that with power comes great responsibility, and any organisation that develops cutting-edge technologies must ensure that they deliver responsible products for both users and service providers. 

 

Biometrics is another technology that is rapidly changing our day to day lives, and one where the same rules must be applied.    

 

Why are responsible biometrics important?

Biometric technology has huge potential to improve our world for the better – whether that’s helping people access essential services more easily, reducing fraud, or allowing us to travel seamlessly and safely. 

 

That said, as with any emerging technology the stakes are high. Biometrics rely on access and use of the most personal information – and must be handled with the utmost sensitivity. This data in the wrong hands could have severe implications, so responsibility must be built in right from the outset. 

 

Designing a truly responsible approach

Companies developing and deploying biometric technology should ask themselves the following questions under the TrUE framework: 

 

Transparency: Are individuals aware that they are being identified by a service using biometric technology? 

 

The right level of transparency ensures people can give their consent to the use of this personal data. They should also know the purpose of the service; if any of their personal data is stored, who can consult it and the ways that they can access their data or request its update or deletion.

 

Understandable: Is the use of biometrics justifiable for the specific service? 

 

The benefits for both the end-user and service provider should be clear. While this links back to the issue of transparency, it goes beyond that to explain the purpose of the solution.

 

Biometric services should adhere to a rigorous governance structure, whether established by existing laws and regulations or by the business’ own ethical charter. Its technology is ‘understandable’ because users would get access to how it is working so they can trust their individual freedoms are respected.

 

Ethical: Is the use of biometrics fair and socially responsible? 

 

Any socially responsible company should pay attention to data privacy regulations, trade compliance regulations (compliance with export control rules and economic sanctions) and the necessity for solutions to be built on a robust, diverse dataset in order to promote non-discrimination and equality. 

 

Applications of responsible biometrics 

One example of where we’ve applied this framework is with our Fly to Gate solution. Unlike traditional ID verification at airports, this solution creates a secure ‘digital token’ which proves passengers’ validity to fly by combining access to the relevant ID data with a person’s check in information. It can either be created before visiting the airport via a digital ID wallet, or by manually scanning ID documents at a designated kiosk in the terminal.

 

By agreeing to share biometric data via a digital token, passing through the airport becomes a more efficient, touchless experience that removes the need for any further scanning of documents.

 

Not only does this approach save up to 30% in boarding times, but it is also a highly safe and secure process. Facial biometrics are used to correctly identify the passenger, mitigating cases of identity theft, and multiple layers of encryption protect this.

 

The process lightens the load of manual checking for airport staff and the technology will also erase the token post-flight, ensuring peace of mind for the passenger that their data isn’t being unnecessarily stored on airport databases.

 

Demonstrating responsibility

Technology is adapting to suit the needs of the digital age, but the pressure is on those building new tech to demonstrate to customers and end users that they are a reliable and responsible partner. 

 

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Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President Digital Identity & Security at Thales. Learn more about the TrUE approach to biometrics here.

 

Main image courtesy of iStocklPhoto.com