FacePay fare payment system to launch in Moscow metro by the end of the year

“In the Moscow metro, by the end of 2021, we plan to launch contactless fare payment for travel through a face recognition system”, said deputy head of the metro Andrey Kichigin. This payment method will be available at the turnstiles and at the ticket offices. This feature is currently being tested.

According to him, to pay for the fare, you only need to go to the camera, and it counts the face of the passenger, even in a mask. Similar systems have proven themselves in London, Singapore and Dubai.

“First of all, the facial recognition system ensures the safety of trips. We all want to live and move around in a safe city and provide our passengers with the highest level of security,” added Kichigin.

According to the deputy head of the metro, the facial recognition system does not know any surnames, names, or other personal data.

The information is stored in a data center that only law enforcement agencies have access to. The protection is reliable, the system can not be connected from the outside, unauthorized access is impossible. The system records each operation, which allows you to understand who, when and what data was requested.

Information security expert Sergei Vakulin criticized the FacePay fare payment system.

“No system is secure. There is a possibility that the data will leak somewhere, and it may be discovered years later. As for security in general, facial recognition, biometric data, then the situation is 50-50. The fact is that the system will not be fully debugged with our technologies, because the person is changing. Clearly, there will be some mistakes, maybe he will grow a beard, and how will he be recognized?” noted the expert.