Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has finally announced the phased roll-out of face recognition feature as an additional mode of authentication, starting with telecom service providers from September 15.
The authority had earlier planned to roll-out face recognition feature from July 1, a target that was later pushed to August 1.
Monetary disincentive
It has also proposed a monetary disincentive for telcos found slipping on the prescribed targets from the middle of next month.
For authentication agencies other than telecom service providers (TSPs), UIDAI said specific instructions will be issued on the implementation of face authentication feature, but did not give a fresh deadline.
Significantly, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has further said ‘live face photo’ capture and its verification with the photo obtained in eKYC will be essential in those cases where Aadhaar is used for issuance of mobile SIMs.
UIDAI says the move is aimed at curbing the possibility of fingerprint spoofing or cloning, and seeks to tighten the audit process and security around the issuance and activation of mobile SIMs. In June, a Hyderabad-based mobile SIM card distributor had forged Aadhaar details for activating thousands of SIMs.
“This instruction (for matching live face photo with eKYC photo) will apply only where Aadhaar is used for issuance of SIMs. As per the Telecom Department’s instructions, if SIM is issued through other means without Aadhaar, then these instructions will not apply,” UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey told PTI.
