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The effects of the pandemic has brought forward an idea that perhaps would have previously been more easily dismissed and regarded as an invasion of privacy to determine the health status of travellers crossing borders. The risk that COVID-19 poses to the global economy has meant that more drastic systems and processes are being proposed and put in place. Plans to create and test health credential biometric systems are being explored in different sectors, not just in the UK but globally. The proposals are initially targeting the travel industry and to allow people to travel again with a greater level of assurance for both passenger and governments that the virus will not be transmitted across borders. Currently, while vaccine programs are being rolled out at differing rates globally and with the target for the world to be COVID 19 immune by 2023, the interim will see a ‘hybrid’ of vaccinations status and negative COVID-19 tests. There are several groups and initiatives globally that have been set up by both governments and organisations to create systems that will verify individuals vaccination status to protect against the future spread of the disease. One such group is The Vaccination Credential Initiative which aims to create the standards to verify a persons vaccination status. While primarily the concern is for travelers to demonstrate their status, it’s expected that businesses in other industries will also require proof from their customers, such as event organisers and even employers from their employees. What are the options? While there are different approaches being discussed all aim to ensure the health status of the person by use of apps, QR codes or novel technology each approach requires the use of biometrics so to overcome the biggest challenge of fraud. To prevent individuals from misrepresenting their vaccination status is crucial for countries to take back control over the spread of COVID-19. Apps such as VeriFLY with facial recognition and digital identity technology, allows passengers to create a secure profile on the app and so meet the testing and documentation requirements. This app is already in use by airlines in the USA. While in the UK there have not previously been such apps in use, COVID-19 immunity and vaccination passports have started trials this month. The digital passport allows for an individuals test results or vaccination status to be registered and proved on an app without disclosing their identity. The app uses facial recognition to secure the data which will allow them to verify their status more securely. The system has been designed to plug into the existing NHS infrastructure and so does not increase the burden on frontline services. The trial is due to be completed by 31st March 2021. An alternative approach is to use QR codes and smartphone to encode the test results or vaccine status. At the site of testing biometric data such as fingerprint or facial recognition would be enrolled to secure the credentials and also used to unlock the QR code so to prevent it from being shared with others. Global e-dentity has a more novel approach by developing a system that can detect asymptomatic COVID-19 infection using a scanner. The device will scan the individual’s palm and can detect biometric characteristics such as altered blood vessel morphology and reduced haemoglobin levels, both of which have been shown to be indicative of COVID-19 infection. This technology has shown huge promise and indicated near 100% accuracy in detecting asymptomatic and presymptomatic COVID-19 infections. What are the concerns? As with any data collection or storage plans, there is a concern for data privacy. To ensure that the arrival of the digital health passport is favourable for all involved privacy is paramount. The risk of this data being either leaked or used unfavourably against an individual is a valid concern. Individuals deserve the assurances that their health data is secure and will not be used in a way that is of detriment to them. Not only the issue of privacy but any potential ethical implications also need to be explored fully and in-depth to ensure that the transformation of digital health data begins on secure foundations.

The events and entertainment industry is one that will benefit from biometric technologies, such as fingerprint scanners, face recognition and palm scanners, in several different ways. The rapidly advancing biometric technologies are set to reshape the way in which events and planned, marketed and executed. From allowing events organisers to reduce queuing time, increase security, prevent fraud and help the environment. The appearance of COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on this industry but it has also accelerated the introduction of biometric technology for many larger events venues. Many events venues are looking to put contingency plans in place in order to protect them from the current and future pandemics. This includes using contactless access control, ticketing and payment. Ticketing Transforming the ticketing system is one of the easiest solutions for event organisers as the technology is already readily available. Using biometric authentication, such as fingerprint scanners, palm readers and face recognition, to gain admission to venues/ events means that physical tickets won’t need to be produced. This has several benefits such as; Attendees can’t lose their tickets or damage them Fake tickets can’t be made and sold Better for the environment as physical tickets will not be needed The biometric scanners can be teamed with evolving gate technology such as Digicon D-Flow gates. Check-ins By using biometric registration the check-in time to venues will be massively reduced and thus reducing the queuing times too. It will reduce the burden on staff that are required to check-in the attendees making the process smoother and more accurate. Crowd control and access restriction Using access control solutions in a venue can mean that certain event spaces are restricted for staff only or VIP areas. Such technologies will also give an audit trail, showing who enters the restricted areas. Crowd analytics Face recognition/detection will aim to provide emotional and physical profiles to give attendees a better experience. The technology is still being developed but the concepts are already being tested. If organisers can understand how much and what attendees enjoyed about the events, without having to carry out surveys, they can optimise the experience. Crowd analytics will also help to map the foot traffic which will show the event guest journey. This can be used to make any modifications to the venue or help enhance future experiences at with the event or the venue. Security Enhanced security is a major advantage of using biometrics technologies. Access control into and around the venue will give the organisers an advantage. It will help eliminate the use of a fake ID to gain entry. It can also combat the problem of theft if face recognition was used to allow payment for food, beverages and merchandise inside the venue/event, by automatically charging a pre-registered card. Marketing By better understanding, the attendee experience through the data collected event organisers can then target their marketing better to the audience that would benefit or enjoy them. More tailored messaging can provide better attendance and higher levels of enjoyment at the events. All of the above is only possible if the organisers have prior consent from the attendees to both collect and hold their data for processing. At the point of registration when data biometric data should be collected then consent must also be received to ensure GDPR compliance. With data protection regulations being part of the system there are already systems in place to ensure that event organisers can remain compliant and protect attendees rights. As you can see, biometric technologies will bring mutual benefit for event organisers and attendees by enhancing experiences while improving efficiency and security. While its adoption is still growing it’s a trend that is likely to be accelerated by the current push for more advanced biometric technologies.

Wearable technology being any device that is connected to the body in some form to measure or enhance the bodies capability. The 13th century brought the first known wearable device; corrective lenses. And over the next 700 years followed a number of inventions that people use by wearing and some formed the primitive ideas for more modern technology. The modern definition of wearable technology is that it contains a microprocessor and internet connection. Modern Wearable Technology The 21st century has been when modern personal technology has boomed. The advances in computer technology paved the way for many devices that we now consider part of our daily lives. In 2002 the new Bluetooth technology opened the door to many further creative solutions and improvements to wearable technology. Over the two decades that have followed saw the connection of an increasing number of wearable technology devices to smartphones, they include; Hearables (e.g. wireless headsets) Smartwatches Fitness &activity trackers Smart clothing Head-mounted devices (VR/AR) Skin patches While many of the devices are constantly improved and redesigned for aesthetics and performance, one function that is being developed further is the use of biometrics in wearable technology. It\’s now common to have within smartphones sensors that enable fingerprint scanning to be used as a security measure for the phone itself but also for some of our daily functions that take place on the phone such us banking authentication and payment approval. Another type of biometric measure is the information that can be collected about a person relating to their health; heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, sleep data. This information can be used in remote healthcare solutions, where a patient\’s overall health is monitored in their normal environment with them having to come into a clinic/hospital for check-ups. The advantages of such technology will have benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. It won\’t be just the smartwatches and fitness trackers that will become more popular, \’smart\’ clothing will have even better scope to collect biometric data as it\’s worn closer to the skin and covers a wider area. While its already in the market, its expected the advancement in technology and potentially lower costs will over time make it more popular. The global wearable technology market size is estimated to be at over $32 billion in 2020, and it\’s expected to more than double by 2027. Much of the growth is expected to be driven by IoT and connected devices coupled with an increasingly tech-savvy population, while the advantages are clear to see there are also concerns relating to data privacy. Wearable Technology Data Privacy The large volume of data being collected by the devices brings with it the concern of how data is being stored and used by the companies. The way these companies manage their data is crucial as poor data management will potentially lead to the data being breached by a malicious third party. It is crucial for companies to continue to improve both software and hardware to reduce vulnerabilities and increase data security. The other issue that is often a concern is ownership of the data, the privacy policy of the company collecting the data should indicate this. However, most users of the services are unaware of this as the policy is not likely to be read often. The issue of data privacy has yet to be solved and settled, and it is also the issue that can potentially hold back the growth of the market, with some consumer resistance to adopting wearable technology for this reason despite the advantages it brings.