FB pixel

China’s first Internet banking service Webank to use facial recognition technology

 

Earlier this week, Webank launched the “test run” of its Internet banking service, which will use facial recognition technology as a method of authorizing its clients’ identification, according to a report by Shanghai Daily.

As China’s first Internet-based bank, Webank recently completed a pilot program to nurture private lenders in the state-dominated banking sector.

The “test run” only allows Webank to open accounts for shareholders and employees, with the official launch set for the end of the first quarter.

According to existing Chinese regulations, bank accounts may only be opened using traditional identification system, which means that Webank will need to approval from regulators if it wants to use face recognition technology.

Fortunately for Webank, there are already promising signs with the central bank soliciting opinions on a draft rule on opening bank accounts remotely.

The draft ruling states that the accounts would be limited to wealth management products only, and would not permit cash settlement, payment and reception.

Webank said that it will issue loans based on credit rating scores from social data collected by Tencent, which owns a 30% majority stake in Webank.

Last year, the central bank allowed eight organizations, including Tencent and Alibaba, to create their own credit-rating agencies. This is a far cry from the previous system used by traditional lenders, which depend largely on the central bank’s credit system and their own investigative efforts.

However, many people in the banking industry are unsure whether Tencent’s social information can accurately reflect the financial integrity of Webank clients.

Webank said its credit profile will take into account the various online activities of clients, including log-on time on Tencent’s messaging services, virtual assets, gaming, online purchases and transactions.

Article Topics

 |   |   | 

Latest Biometrics News

 

U.S. academic institutions get biometric upgrades with new partnerships

A press release says ROC (formerly Rank One Computing), which provides U.S.-made biometrics and computer vision for military, law enforcement…

 

Smart Bangladesh 2041: Balancing ambition with reality

Bangladesh aims to be a “Smart” nation by 2041 as the country goes through a drastic transformation founded on digital identity…

 

Nigeria’s NIMC introducing one multi-purpose digital ID card, not three

The National Identity Management Commission of Nigeria (NIMC) has clarified that only one new digital ID card with multiple functions…

 

Age assurance tech is ready now, and international standards are on their way

The Global Age Assurance Standards Summit has wrapped up, culminating in a set of assertions, a seven-point call-to-action and four…

 

NIST finds biometric age estimation effective in first benchmark, coming soon

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology presented a preview of its assessment of facial age estimation with selfie…

 

Maryland bill on police use of facial recognition is ‘strongest law in the nation’

Maryland has passed one of the more stringent laws governing the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement in…

Comments

16 Replies to “China’s first Internet banking service Webank to use facial recognition technology”

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most Read From This Week

Featured Company

Biometrics Insight, Opinion

Digital ID In-Depth

Biometrics White Papers

Biometrics Events