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In Moscow, the Russian capital, a face-verified payment system that allows fares to be paid just by looking at a camera has been introduced at more than 240 subway stations. Authorities are appealing that it is the first in the world to introduce a face authentication payment system on this scale, but there are voices concerned about the government using facial recognition cameras as a surveillance tool.
Moscow Metro introduced a face authentication system called Face Pay on October 15 (local time) in more than 240 subway stations. Moscow mayor tweeted that now all passengers can pay their fares without having to take out a smartphone, train or bank card.
To use FacePay, you must register your face photo or bank card information in advance through the Moscow Metro mobile app. Registered users can automatically complete payment by simply placing their face on the camera at the ticket gate.
Moscow’s deputy mayor for transport said FacePay, which allows payments without touching smartphones and other surfaces, makes sense in Russia, where there are no vaccinations and the spread of COVID-19 infections continues. Moscow authorities expect that 10-15% of passengers will use FacePay in the next two to three years, and expect queues and waiting times to be reduced.
On the other hand, activists point out that there are concerns in terms of privacy. The Russian NGO (Roskomsvoboda), which supports digital rights protection, says Russia is a new risky step in managing personal data on a country-by-state basis and needs full transparency on how the app actually functions.
Already in Moscow, a face recognition system is being deployed through a network of 175,000 surveillance cameras in the name of identifying suspects. Activists have argued that facial recognition systems are approaching authoritarian countries like China, claiming that the Moscow metro is a government agency and potentially leaving all data in the hands of law enforcement agencies. Related information can be found here.
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