Biometrics: James Bond

Sexy or Big Brother

Creepy?

At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, the showstoppers were smarter devices and wearables acting as

an extension of one’s body, where devices either knew what to do on their own or their commands were controlled

through voice, gestures, or facial or fingerprint recognition. For PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, these humanlike

elements are intended to make technology more physically intuitive, removing the walls of unnecessary steps, wires,

peripherals, or passwords.

With advancements in biometric technology playing a key role in making technology more intuitive and human, companies

are ensuring that these tools are getting sharper. Major tech companies are offering alternatives to traditional passwords

via biometrics solutions where users will be able to scan their face, iris or fingerprint to verify identity and access their

phones, laptops and personal computers. Intel announced its True Key™ product at CES and Microsoft recently announced

that their biometrics product - Windows Hello - will be part of the Windows 10 operating system due out later this year.

With these tools as well as the payment methods that use fingerprint verification such as Apple Pay, consumers are getting

their initial taste of what this formerly spy-worthy technology may mean for them day-to-day.

At the same time consumers are sharing more information about themselves

publicly, willingly or without their knowledge, as concerns around privacy of

information are dominating the news. Certainly the idea is that biometric

data would be stored locally on individual device and kept anonymous to

make sure personal data is safe from hackers. But as devices are getting

smarter and now storing information about your physical attributes, where

in consumers’ minds does technology cross the line from being a sleek,

modern way to stay connected to becoming an invasion of privacy?

In this month’s Foresight by BSG, a regular poll by Benenson Strategy Group

to understand the shifting values of American consumers, we asked a few

questions around how people feel about sharing their private information

with gadgets, clouds, and the ambiguous relative to making technology

seamless in their daily lives.

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Protection: Passwords versus Biometrics

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The fingerprint authentication available in the iPhone 5S/6 and the Samsung Galaxy S5 are among the latest

innovations in biometric technology that have gone mainstream. Currently, the main application of fingerprint

authentication and similar technologies has been to remove or reduce the need for password authentication.

Touch screens/devices getting dirty through regular usage

Please rank the following list based on what you find most frustrating about your

tech devices. (Top ranked)

Multiple passwords on multiple devices

Keeping them charged

Too many devices

Syncing up multiple devices

Consumers understand that they need to secure their devices and do so, even though they may find it inconvenient at times.

• In a survey conducted in partnership with CCIA,

we found that 83% of consumers use separate

passwords to unlock their phones, PCs, tablets,

and laptops.

• Our most recent Foresight by BSG survey showed

that consumers over 35 are more likely to be using different passwords for each device, which is becoming a pain point.

• For Millennials, this was only a second-tier frustration, behind other issues, such as their touch screens getting dirty from overuse or

having issues with syncing.

23%

27%

7%

7%

18%

26%

16%

9%

21%

18%

Millennials 35+

Security of one’s device(s) can be a source of anxiety for

people, especially given all the recent publicized hacks

and security violations. Older consumers in particular

sometimes get to the point of limiting their online

activities for so called “risky” behaviors, such as shopping

online or posting information about themselves on social

media. That said, we have observed a few key behaviors

that may influence people’s perceptions of biometrics as

passwords today.

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The reason passwords are less of a pain point for Millennials could partially be explained by the fact that Millennials are more likely to take the easy route regarding password protection. Research indicates that Millennials tend to

use the same one or two passwords for most of the sites they go to.

Ultimately, consumers over 35 are worried enough to take extra-precautionary measures to protect themselves

but find these measures highly inconvenient. Millennials bypass the inconvenience by implementing what they

perceive as “good enough.”

Now think about the passwords that you have on your various online accounts. Which of the following statements would you say best describes you? (CCIA Study)

You tend to use the same 1 or 2

passwords on most of your sites

You have different passwords on almost every site that you use

Knowing [that biometrics can replace passwords] which of the following statements comes closer to your views?

Knowing [that biometrics can replace passwords] which of the following statements comes closer to your views?

This is the wave of the future

I find it creepy that my personal data would be stored somewhere like this

35%

65%

45%49%

55%

75%

51%

25%

61%

39%

I think it would be more secure this way

I prefer entering a password

I think it would be more convenient

I think the technology wouldn’t work well

Four in ten people find biometrics in

place of passwords creepy, but most still

think that the benefits will outweigh the

negatives. This was true regardless of

age. While people are still wrapping their

head around what biometrics means in

their day-to-day lives, they do believe

that this is the way things are headed.

29% 64%

37% 58%

So how does “good enough” play into the story of biometrics vs. passwords?

Millennials 35+

Millennials 35+

Notably, MIllennials were more likely

to believe that this was a secure,

convenient alternative to passwords:

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Millennials already see the value of voice recognition to allow them to do more, hinting at the future value of “intuitive convenience.”

Forty-six percent of Millennials say they use voice

recognition, versus 22% of consumers over 35.

While voice recognition is not unique to the

individual (i.e., Siri recognizes words, not an

individual’s voice), its adoption speaks to the

story around “intuitive convenience.” As early

adopters of voice recognition, Millennials like

that it allows them to multitask and do more

with their technology. For consumers over 35

currently using voice recognition, it is more

about the safety benefits (i.e., not having to

look down at a device when they are in the car,

for example) versus being empowered to do

more with their devices.

IN SUMMARY

Until biometrics becomes a way of life, it’s difficult for

consumers to tell us how they feel about upcoming

features and benefits. We know Millennials are generally

more comfortable with being monitored publicly and are

more accepting of the privacy implications associated

with the convenience of biometrics.

Consumers over 35 years old appear to be of two

minds because they know their current actions to

protect themselves are either not good enough or

getting in the way of how they use their technology,

yet concerns around the efficacy or convenience of

biometric passwords make them reluctant to adopt it

as a solution.

Reconciling these conflicting values means marketers

will have to recognize the following:

You mentioned you use voice recognition on some of your tech devices. Why do you use this feature? Please select all that apply.

Allows me to multitask

Faster than looking things up

Keeps me from having to touch a device with dirty/gloved fingers

Keeps me from having to look down at my device

32%

55%

32%

54%

36%

37%

Millennials 35+

Ultimately, companies providing these services will need to tap into underlying values, fears, and needs of these different consumers in order to speak to them directly. BSG will continue to monitor Consumers’ Hidden Architecture of OpinionTM through Foresight by BSG. To learn more, please contact Asha Choksi at achoksi@bsgco.com.

1) Consumers know they are vulnerable and need to

take steps to secure their devices.

2) As the number of devices increases, consumers

want to reduce the complexity of managing them

all, including how they manage their security.

3) Millennials already believe biometrics work and

will take away some headaches, allowing them to

secure their devices in a way that’s innovative,

sleek, and intuitive.

4) Consumers over 35 will be slower to adopt new,

innovative security methods and biometric

technology. Marketers will need to unpack the

fears and pain points of these audiences in order

to get them to see the benefits.

53%

58%