Aadhaar ‘Face ID’: Integration of devices to be completed by July 10

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has said that registration of biometric device needed for implementation of face authentication feature in Aadhaar should be completed by July 10.

The UIDAI had in January informed the Supreme Court that the face ID feature would be introduced to enable Aadhaar holders to authenticate their identity to access services and other benefits. The move is aimed at ensuring that certified registered biometric devices needed to facilitate face authentication are available with the banks and other financial institutions before 1 August, the date of implementation.

"Following the security principle that all biometrics will be captured only through a registered device (RD) service, all biometric vendors shall develop RD service to capture face image, ensure liveness check and create digitally signed and encrypted authentication input to allow Authentication User Agency (AUA) client application to use that option whenever required by the AUA application," said UIDAI in its circular dated 19 June, which was made public on Tuesday.

According to the UIDAI circular, facial recognition as an additional means of Aadhaar authentication is to be used only in combination with existing options of biometric authentication such as fingerprint or iris scan.

This would help people with no or poor biometrics to avoid authentication failures and financial exclusion. UIDAI CEO, Ajay Bhushan Pandey while making a presentation in the Supreme Court in January showed photographs of persons with leprosy and senior citizens with poor biometrics.