As technology continues to advance, biometric age verification is becoming increasingly popular in various industries, including retail. With the goal of preventing underage access to products like alcohol and tobacco, some businesses are turning to facial recognition technology to determine a person's age. However, there are potential pitfalls to this approach.

One recent example comes from a news article in Belgium, where a newspaper store in Berchem installed a smart camera that uses artificial intelligence to determine a customer's age before allowing them to purchase tobacco or lottery products. While the store owner believes this technology will help avoid awkward situations when asking for identification, it's worth noting that facial recognition technology can be inaccurate and may lead to false positives or false negatives.

The downside of biometrics through facial recognition is that it is not always accurate. For instance, a reporter from the Gazet Van Antwerpen tested the camera and received an orange light despite being 25 years old. This poses a danger that the camera may not always accurately determine if a customer is old enough. This can lead to uncomfortable situations when the camera indicates that the customer is too young or even dangerous situations when the camera does not recognize that the customer is still a minor. This can not only lead to problems for the retailer but also for the customer's health. 

Furthermore, there are privacy concerns with facial recognition technology. The use of biometric data raises the possibility of the information being hacked or misused, potentially putting individuals at risk. In addition, there are ethical questions surrounding the use of facial recognition technology, particularly when it comes to issues of consent and discrimination.

At Alfa-Zet Systems, we offer an alternative solution that is both cost-effective and accurate. Our age verification device allows customers to insert their ID card and receive a green light if they are over 18, or a red light if they are under 18. This way, store owners can ensure they are only selling age-restricted products to legal customers without risking false positives or negatives.

However, the smart camera also has some advantages. It could be faster than using an ID card reader because customers do not have to show their ID card. It is also less susceptible to fraud than the ID card reader because ID cards can be counterfeited.

In conclusion, while facial recognition technology may seem like a convenient solution for age verification, the potential pitfalls are too significant to ignore. At Alfa-Zet Systems, we believe in providing accurate and reliable age verification while also prioritizing privacy and ethics.

Source article: https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20230330_94911278