The Importance of Biometric Authentication Across Social Media Channels

In the physical world, we present our proof of identification to others in a variety of situations. We offer a certified material document like a driver’s license or passport, to verify that we are who we say we are. But in a digital world, offering our physical ID documentation is not always the most feasible option. Instead of showing identification each time one accesses their online account, there must be an easier, safer way to authenticate one’s identity.

Biometric verification is a method of verification where a person is able to be uniquely identified based on the evaluation of one or more distinguishing biological traits. Common unique identifiers include fingerprinting, voice waveform recognition, eye scanning, and signatures. In fact, the oldest form of biometric verification has been thought to be fingerprinting as historians uncovered evidence of thumbprints being used as a unique identifying factor on clay seals in ancient China.

Over the last ten years, research in biometric technology has rapidly advanced, going from a novelty technology to a part of everyday life. In 2013, Apple began to include fingerprint scanners into their smartphones, and later facial recognition technology. Both of these led to increasing industry standards for all smartphones, with biometric capabilities inherently built into their systems, influencing more of the world to migrate in that direction.

Now, big-name technology firms are increasing their use of biometrics in the products and services they offer to their customers. These organizations understand the importance of this technology and the growing value for biometric data. When integrated with services used by millions – like social media applications, for example – biometrics continues to transform how people can authenticate their identity. But what about those who are slower to adopt these ground-breaking technologies?

In order to keep end users safe online, social media platforms must consider leveraging biometrics when addressing the rising security and privacy concerns that are continuously occurring among end-users and before their platform loses all credibility – and traffic. In a rapidly developing and competitive market such as the internet, total user security and fraud protection measures must be top of mind.

Why is Biometric Technology Better Than Other Security Authentication Methods?

Although there are other digital security methods often used, such as passwords, PINs, and two-step verification options, biometric technology tends to be the safest and hassle-free solution.

• Impossible to Forget:

  While passwords and security patterns can easily be forgotten, biometrics utilizes each individual’s unique biological key.

• Always Accessible:

  Since everyone has their individual biometrics, the user never loses access, unlike passwords or PIN numbers that may have been written down elsewhere.

• Consistent Information:

  Biometric information does not change over time. It remains a constant.

• Impossible to Replicate:

  Unlike a familiar password or PIN number, your biometrics information is nearly impossible to replicate. Even a written signature can be evaluated by specialists to measure it against past writing samples for complete authentication.

• Ease of Use for End-User:

  Implementing biometric security for ID verification impacts the end-user very little – making it an easy, barrier-free way to secure their account information.    

Although many websites require elaborate passwords for securing an account, a password – no matter how complicated – remains the most vulnerable security measure. And in a world that is increasingly moving everyday activities to an online forum, absolute security is a must. 

What Does the Future of Social Media Verification Look Like?

Social media is undoubtedly one of the most popular services across the internet. These social networks allow users to virtually connect with communities all across the globe, at little to no cost to them. It’s a place where people can share their ideas, recently discovered information, career interests, entertainment, and more. Each of these platforms holds one thing in common: they run primarily on user-generated content, allowing the end-user to facilitate conversations found on these sites. The social network itself just acts as the facilitator, which can sometimes lead to the origin of false information and the spread of misinformation like wildfire among end-users.

Each and every day, news audiences are exposed to a higher risk of falling victim to seeing and sharing fake news stories than ever before. As these consumers read, watch, or listen to a variety of news across different channels, they can easily fall victim to misinformation, fake news, trolls, bots, and other unverified sources of this “news”.

Yet although social media remains the least trusted news source across the globe since 2016, a recent study revealed that more than 50% of the study’s participants across seventeen different countries still reported primarily utilizing social media networks for their daily news source.

Thanks to cognitive bias, many people prefer their information to come from those most trusted – essentially from their in-group. As more and more people become active on these social media channels, the spread of false information has become an increasingly alarming issue across all social media platforms. Navigating the news media landscape has become so difficult that many consumers across the globe are actively avoiding it altogether, regardless of its origin.

If social media platforms don’t start to increase their user verification processes, there will continue to be instances of unreliable pieces of news circulating the digital space, which in turn opens doors for fraudulent activity.  

For example, IDmission recently partnered with Baaz, the first culturally relevant and tailored social media platform for Arabs, to provide biometric verification for secure user onboarding. “Establishing user identity while enrolling into a social media site has far-reaching consequences, both for more meaningful social discourse and for enabling monetary transactions in the future,” says IDmission CEO Ashim Banerjee. “Baaz is a trailblazer in implementing KYC into a convenient, frictionless enrollment process.” It is the very first social media platform that provides users a simple identity verification process for optimum security for all users across the platform.

Why Must Social Media Companies Consider Biometric Technology Today?

The cost of not ensuring a safer environment for the end user is too great – after all, ad sales are often the primary source of revenue for social media organizations. In order to remain profitable, social media channels must remain trusted sources for their end-users.

Biometric user authentication software can easily be integrated on social media platforms, especially since some are already in action. Facial recognition software is already active on Facebook – every time a photo is uploaded to the site, the social network auto-detects facial features and can sometimes even tag them without any prompting.

And biometric security proves to be truly beneficial to both social media companies and end-users alike, especially as it protects both the user and the company in equal measures.

4 Comprehensive Safety and Accessible Benefits for the End User:

1. 1. Biometrics are quick and easy, so it’s never a hassle for the end-user to authenticate their identity.
   2. The most obvious benefit is the uniqueness of each individual’s biometrics.
   3.  Biometric scanners are virtually foolproof, so it safeguards the user’s accounts, giving all peace of mind about what they consume on these channels.
   4. And there’s nothing worse than losing a password and being locked out of an account, but biometrics make this an irrelevant situation.

3 Security and User Experience Benefits for the Social Media Organization:

1. 1. Beyond protecting the organization, biometrics will also streamline the authentication process, which in turn improves the entire user experience.
   2. Stronger user authentication processes can help to stanch the spread of misinformation and fake news.
   3. For organizations who spend millions of dollars on security purposes, a password is too weak to secure user authentication and eliminate the opportunity for fraudulent activity.

Is now is the Time to Implement Biometrics Security Measures?

As biometric research grows, so do the possibilities. As it merges with artificial intelligence, biometric devices and systems will be able to learn and adapt to its users, creating a seamless experience across the board. Social media companies, often ahead of every technological curve, should move to integrate biometric authentication into their existing onboarding processes to prevent the further spread of spam, false information, and potential instances of fraud.

Even if we don’t fully know the future of social media’s verification abilities, if the past is any indication then the rapid increase in demand for biometric security ensures that the market isn’t going anywhere but up. After all, biometric security providers will keep up with the ever-evolving data-breaching methods that organizations will face, providing state-of-the-art solutions to ensure total safety for both the company and the end-user.

When it comes to integrating identity solutions as a strategic part of an organization’s ever-evolving business model, IDmission is pioneering the shift towards safer social environments thanks to our cutting-edge technology and its capabilities. By offering seamless solutions that orchestrate a digital transformation journey, IDmission assists a diverse range of organizations who depend on state-of-the-art identity, ID verification, and other security measures to keep their customer information safe at all times. By leveraging world-class biometrics technology and artificial intelligence, IDmission prides itself on working closely with customers to ensure absolute protection.

Biometric authentication technology when implemented across social media channels is the clearest way to establish trust and enhance the overall user experience. Thanks to the latest biometric authentication technologies, organizations and users alike can rest assured that they are enjoying a safe social environment in the long term.