Brazil has mandated face biometrics for use in large stadiums, a landmark move for the widespread implementation of the technology.
New legislation requires Brazilian stadiums with a capacity of more than 20,000 to adopt face biometrics as the access method. Biometric ticketing and identity verification are aimed at curbing violence and other forms of crowd trouble.
The move came into effect June 14 via the General Sports Law, which eliminates printed tickets, cards and traditional passwords for use in large arenas. Instead, face biometrics will be placed at stadium turnstiles with cameras capturing faces in real time. Tickets for entry to these stadiums will be validated exclusively via face biometrics, which must be registered on a digital platform.
Ricardo Cadar, CEO of Bepass, the company responsible for the face biometric systems at multiple stadiums in Brazil, says the technology speeds up entry, on average reducing access time by up to two seconds per person. Bepass’ system generates 25 accesses per minute, three times more than traditional methods, Cadar told CNN Brasil.
Bepass operate in stadiums such as Allianz Parque, Maracanã, Neo Química Arena, Vila Belmiro, MorumBIS, Arena do Grêmio, Fonte Nova, Nilton Santos and Arena das Dunas, with over five million entries made via its system in 212 matches, according to the company.
The face biometric system is integrated with public authorities’ databases, enabling identification of fans with pending legal issues. For example, in partnership with the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat, arrests of 220 people were made at games at Allianz Parque, the home of Palmeiras football club, using the system.
One of Brazil’s biggest stadiums, the Arena Castelão, has deployed a face biometric system from Imply, a Latin American firm specializing in stadium technology. The 60,000-seat stadium will use Imply’s face biometric system for security and efficiency enhancements and meet the new mandate under the General Sports Law.
The new system also combats forgery and ticket scalping as the biometrics linked to the ticket only allows for the registered person to access the stadium, which eliminates irregular entry or ticket resale.
Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) requested data protection impact assessment reports from 23 clubs that have deployed biometrics for ticket sales and entry into stadiums in March.
The ANPD said in a statement last month that it is taking the measure after its General Inspection Coordination discovered irregularities in the use of biometrics by these clubs following an analysis of documents and publicly available information.
While the collection and processing of biometrics for ticketing and stadium entry is not forbidden by Brazil’s General Law on Personal Data Protection (LGPD), its rules require those involved in such processes to show transparency and respect for the rights of data subjects.
On biometrics more generally, the ANPD is opening a public consultation on the topic of processing sensitive personal data – biometric data.
The initiative, conducted by the General Coordination of Standardization (CGN), aims to collect contributions from society to guide the ANPD on the use of biometric data. The consultation remains open until July 2 through the Participa + Brasil platform.
Biometrics fans across South American stadia
South America has been an active market for biometrics at live events. In December, Veridas announced its face biometrics deployment in the 85,000-capacity Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Brazilian authorities used facial recognition to identify and apprehend a notorious organized crime boss at São Paulo’s Allianz Park stadium during a major football match.
In Colombia, biometric identity verification deployed at the recent Betplay League final at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellín has won praise from National Registrar Hernán Penagos.
The deployment saw 200 biometric devices installed and 1,200 identity verification checks conducted by officials from the National Registry and uniformed police. According to LAFM, Panagos says “the application worked flawlessly” and produced results that are “very satisfactory.”
So satisfactory that more biometric tools are on the way. Panagos says he intends to review “how we come to an agreement with local authorities, and also with Dimayor, to determine how we can make biometric identification become something permanent.”
Digital IDV ticketing can reduce wait times by 68%
A market intelligence report from PYMNTS looks at how “Novel ID Verification Technologies in Stadiums Can Change the Game Beyond Sports.”
Research shows that benefits of biometric identity verification at stadiums include efficiency as well as security. “Consistently accurate ID validation tools, such as barcode scanning, help identify unauthorized entries and prevent ticket fraud,” says the report.
“Even stronger forms add elements of liveness detection to ensure that bad actors cannot upload photos of others to match their IDs and trick systems.”
More significant for fan experience, “digital ID and barcode-based ID verification technologies help streamline entry, reducing wait times by up to 68 percent with systems like MLB’s ‘Go-Ahead Entry.’”
Go-Ahead Entry is MLB’s proprietary ticketless access system, with biometrics provided by NEC. The statistic comes from a 2023 Go-Ahead Entry pilot at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia, which found that biometric lines moved 68 percent faster, and allowed 2.5 times more people to pass through than the fastest lane using physical or smartphone-based tickets.
However, the PYMNTS report warns of the financial burden of such systems. “Deploying systems that utilize this data at scale involves significant investment in specialized equipment, training and system integration,” the report says. “While large venues may manage these costs, smaller ones may find budget is a barrier.”
Article Topics
access control | ANPD | Bepass | biometric ticketing | biometrics | Brazil | digital ID | face biometrics | identity verification | Imply