Chehra Hai Ya Aadhaar ID? UIDAI Rolls Out Face Authentication

In a new move, UIDAI has announced the face authentication service for Aadhaar ID from 1 July 2018. According to a tweet by UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey, the service has been introduced to ‘help elderly or others facing issues with fingerprint 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

Currently UIDAI offers two types of authentication – fingerprint-based and iris-based. At the time of Aadhaar enrollment, the resident’s face is captured and UIDAI wants to use this photo for facial authentication, in order to ensure that residents aren’t excluded on the basis of their fingerprint or irises.

Here’s how face authentication will work.

Face Authentication, Plus One More Authentication

The UIDAI circular specifies that facial authentication shall be allowed only in 'fusion mode'. This means to successfully authorise an Aadhaar number holder, face authentication will be needed along with one more authentication — either fingerprint, iris or OTP.

Since Aadhaar data takes a photo of the resident, the information required for face authentication is already available in the database. Face modality will be included into registered devices. UIDAI will also provide software development kits (SDK) or registered device (RD) services in various centres, which will have the ability to capture a face image.

But does face authentication make Aadhaar data more vulnerable? Face ID opened up a can of worms for Apple, with people ‘gaming’ the system using face masks or exposing loopholes in the ID system with identical twins.

How will UIDAI’s face recognition technology overcome these challenges? UIDAI has mentioned that it will reveal necessary implementation details by 1 March 2018. So for now, we will have to wait and see.

(We Indians have much to talk about these days. But what would you tell India if you had the chance? Pick up the phone and write or record your Letter To India. Don’t be silent, tell her how you feel. Mail us your letter at [e-mail]. We’ll make sure India gets your message.)