HSBC Wants To Use Selfies As Verification

When it comes to security, banks certainly don’t take it lightly, which is why many banks around the world have various methods of verifying their customers. For example some banks use dongles that issue one-time codes to verify logins and transactions. Others might use fingerprint sensors, but HSBC has plans to use selfies.

Basically through its smartphone app, HSBC plans to allow business customers to identify themselves and their new accounts via a “selfie verification” system. The idea behind it is that by scanning your face and matching it against a passport or driving license, it will save customers time and effort from having to come down to the branch personally.

The system will rely on face tracking technology to match parts of the customer’s face to photos in official documents. According to HSBC’s global propositions boss Richard Davies, “We also expect the convenience and speed of a ‘selfie’ to become the verification method of choice for our customers.”

Exactly how secure this method is remains to be seen, but in the past we have seen how some facial recognition systems have been fooled by using a photo of the authorized user, but presumably this is something HSBC might have already taken care of.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: hsbc, Security