Verification in whatever form is not a new topic in the sporting world. The ticket one buys to get inside a stadium for a sports event or a concert is a form of verification. However, it appears sports arenas worldwide are stepping up the game with facial biometric verification, which is gradually becoming a new norm. Using biometrics in sports arenas usually involves things like fingerprints and sometimes the facial features of such persons.
Sports arenas around the world are already using these technologies for their stadiums. The New York Mets made history by becoming the first MLB team to officially use a facial biometric attendance system called Mets Entry Express. With this new system, sports lovers can quickly scan their faces without the officials even bothering to look at their tickets. This new verification method is not limited to the New York Mets. Cleveland Guardians and Browns also have their own piece of biometric verification.
In the vast Pechanga Arena located in San Diego, a facial recognition system is also available. Fans of sports can quickly and easily have their faces scanned to gain entry to their team's games without any issues. The Atlanta Falcons have even taken security measures to new heights by introducing a dog-like verification system to their stadium.
Other notable mentions include the Rose Bowl Stadium, the Los Angeles FC Soccer Team, the New Orleans Saints, and Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. However, privacy concerns are a significant part of the new biometric verification system. Many individuals worry that facial recognition attendance at stadiums may be politically motivated and unwise.
Reactions of Companies to this New Technology
Many security companies have reacted to the discussion of using this type of technology to these technologies. Some are siding with it, while others are raising the issues people might have with submitting sensitive information like this. A company known as NEC is a major facilitator of this type of technology and is a huge supporter of it. They claim the biometric method of authentication has more benefits than the downsides.
On the other hand, Alex Hamerstone, advisory solutions director at TrustedSec, a Fairlawn, Ohio-based ethical hacking and cyber incident response company, says he is afraid many people won't consent to this type of technology.
"I imagine there will be a significant percentage of people who won’t want to share that kind of personal information, particularly since this raises some obvious fears about surveillance," he said.
More Reactions
According to Karim Hijazi, CEO of Prevailion, a Houston-based cyber intelligence company, a biometric identification system in entertainment places like sports centers is unsustainable. According to him, it takes only one bad incident from this type of technology for many people to boycott it.
"Even if this rolls out smoothly at first, all it takes is one incident or for some other issue to become politicized and then spread to other issues like biometrics and venues will have a revolt on their hands," he added.
There are issues with ticket holders leaving the stadium and not being able to be verified upon return, hindering the verification system.
"In that case, it wouldn’t be hard to deal with issues like a ticketholder’s guest who leaves and then tries to come back but doesn’t have his biometrics registered," Hijazi added.