Singapore’s use of facial verification in ID scheme stirs privacy fears
RINA CHANDRAN SINGAPORE’S more than four million residents will have to use facial verification technology to access government services through the national identity scheme, a move criticised as intrusive and heavy-handed by privacy advocates. Facial verification, which works by scanning someone's face and matching it with a database image, is already used widely to unlock smartphones and access bank accounts, but Singapore is the first state to use it in a national ID scheme. "Unlike the use of biometrics for surveillance, it ensures that the user is aware and that their explicit consent is sought before proceeding with the verification…