Biometric security checks such as voice, facial or eye recognition are still not favored by the vast majority of Americans despite the technologies’ ability to make it easier to access online services. A YouGov study of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted for email provider Mail.com saw 58 percent of respondents claim that password was still their preferred biometric authentication method to access their online accounts taken with ISPs, banks and more.
A tenth favored fingerprint sensors like those offered up by modern Apple and Android mobile devices. Nine percent selected multi-digit pins.
On new, more disruptive technologies, only two percent clocked facial or voice or eye recognition a piece, showing that these new technologies have work to do in building the trust of consumers and also raising awareness.
The main reason given to avoid biometric services was in case there was a malfunction on the company’s end, restricting access to the data, 42 percent selected this. Similarly, consumers also didn’t particularly want this data to be in the hands of the brands requesting it.
Only a tenth of respondents thought biometric security was risk free.