Facial recognition: a reality in Colombia?

Facial recognition will be a reality in Colombia sooner than expected. This is demonstrated by the pilot tests that the Registry has been carrying out on its new facial biometrics platform, through which it would be possible, for example, for the Police to verify the identity of those attending a football match, as happened in the millonarios vs. Patriots on September 6. The above is a sample of the progress of the Registry in terms of biometric information and the way in which it shares this information with third parties. In this context, we share some relevant points about the way in which the Registry manages the biometric data of citizens and shares them with public and private entities.

In this sense, although the facial recognition system is not yet available to private entities, it is a fact that the Registry is working on it and it is expected that it will be made available to public and private entities, similar to how it shares the fingerprint database.

The Registry currently shares the fingerprint database through agreements with public or private entities. In the case of the former, to support the fulfillment of their functions, for example, for the Police to verify the identity of people. And in the case of the latter, for the development of their corporate purpose under criteria of necessity, for example, for financial institutions to mitigate the risk of fraud.

The Registry has regulated how public and private entities can access the biometric authentication database of the Registry, until now composed of fingerprints (Resolution 5633 of 2016).

However, in the case of private entities, only entities such as the administrators of the comprehensive social security system in pensions, health and occupational risks can access, as well as those entities that develop financial, stock market, insurance activities, or any other activity related to the resources collected from the public. For this purpose, it is necessary to carry out a process that allows the Registry to verify the way in which the information will be used, the security conditions in which it will be treated, among other relevant aspects. It is recommended that entities wishing to request access to this information be properly advised legally before and during the application process.

Within the framework of the above, it is important to highlight that these forms of biometric identification such as facial recognition strengthen security and the fight against fraud, for the benefit of citizens and even of the entities themselves, minimizing their margin of error.

However, to the extent that the Registry seeks to ensure that those who access the information make appropriate use of it, the process of requesting access by third parties has the necessary complexity to guarantee this purpose. So, if your entity is interested in implementing identification mechanisms supported by the databases of the Registry, do not hesitate to contact us.

By LLOREDA CAMACHO & CO, Colombia, a Transatlantic Law International Affiliated Firm.  

For further information or for any assistance please contact colombia@transatlanticlaw.com 

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