From Fiction to Reality: How Biometrics Are Shaping Our World

 

Ever watched a spy movie without seeing biometrics featured in it? If you’re a fan of iconic spy film franchises such as the James Bond series or the Mission Impossible movies, you’ll know that this futuristic technology is integral to the plot of these cinematic masterpieces. Think about 2012’s “Skyfall,” wherein the enemy was unable to kill Agent 007 with his own gun since the pistol is biometrically-enabled and only works in the hands of James Bond. The tech is also omnipresent in Ethan Hunt’s world– notice how he always has to undergo a retinal scan to listen to a recording of every mission briefing? Since confirming identities is a huge part of spy activities, it’s no wonder that biometrics technology often makes its appearance in these films. 

 

Biometrics was only thought of as a novel concept decades ago, but today, it has become a common part of our everyday lives. According to recent data, about 75 percent of Americans have used biometric tech like fingerprint scanning and face recognition. With systems that recognize us by our facial features, iris, fingerprint, or voice, biometrics is shaping our world, one scan at a time.

 

 

Nowadays, there’s no way you can get inside a corporate building with just a physical ID card and a winning smile. More businesses have become proactive when it comes to security, and it is estimated that about 2 in 5 businesses now use biometrics for physical access control. If your workplace values security, it’s likely that your office has installed fingerprint readers, facial recognition terminals, and turnstiles with biometric technology near the entrance and at certain areas to physically allow or restrict access to the building. Organizations are also using biometrics to prevent unauthorized entry to sensitive or vulnerable areas, such as in server rooms and in accounting and IT departments. Apart from keeping data and physical premises secure, companies are now using biometric technology to keep track of employee attendance, as well as for wage theft prevention purposes. 

 

Though biometrics has a lot of benefits for the workplace, users should be aware of its weaknesses too since it has its blind spots. Though it’s unlikely that someone would copy your iris pattern and print it on a contact lens to gain access to your workplace a la Charlie’s Angels, there’s a chance that someone could access it if your company doesn’t have a way to secure biometric data. While there’s a risk of fingerprints and facial scans being compromised, experts believe that biometrics is far safer than using older methods, such as passwords. 

 

 

If you’ve ever had your credit card details stolen while buying something on the Internet, it’s likely that you’ve been extremely wary about making online purchases since then. Fortunately, biometric technology is becoming one of the most popular ways to make payments since it’s faster and more secure than traditional payment methods. Biometric payment technology eliminates the need to use usernames and passwords when making purchases, and to pay, you’ll only need to provide a fingerprint, or have a facial or iris scan. 

 

Since the latest smartphone models come equipped with fingerprint sensors and cameras with facial recognition features, more online markets and selling platforms are likely to include biometric payments as one of their payment options. In 2025, it is estimated that biometrics will authenticate more than $3 trillion of payment transactions. Some companies that are already using biometric payment include Apple, Samsung, Google, and Amazon. In the coming years, perhaps we’d get to the point where we can pay our cab fare using biometrics, just like Biff did in “Back to the Future 2.”

 

 

Having biometrics technology in vehicles is key in every great sci-fi movie– think “Star Trek” or “The Fifth Element.” Imagine being able to access or lock your car with a single fingerprint or facial scan, or having a shared car adjust to your preferred settings with a tap of your finger on a scanner. Vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz 2022 C-Class already have this feature, and with your fingerprint, the car can access your profile and adjust its settings to your preferred driver seat position, cabin temperature, and playlist. There’s also the Hyundai Genesis GV60 that has a fingerprint scanner so you can unlock and start the car, while the Kia Telluride has a fingerprint scanner on the door handle so you won’t have to search through your pockets for your car keys ever again.   

 

Biometrics technology is no longer confined to the big screens as it has become an integral part of our daily lives. From unlocking your car, going into your office building, and buying groceries, it’s now possible to have a biometrically-enabled routine that’s sure to get more advanced in the coming years.