The Increasing Importance of Inclusion and Accessibility: How To Evaluate Your Current Biometric Vendor

Inclusivity is no longer a “nice-to-have”, but a business imperative driven by ethical considerations, growth opportunities, and legal compliance. Despite efforts to standardize accessibility by organizations like WCAG, lawsuits running into millions of dollars due to non-conformance are commonplace. High-profile cases include Uber’s lawsuits related to biometric verification, involving discrimination and bias in their systems that led to the wrongful deactivation of accounts for many drivers of color. 

Unfortunately, even a seemingly low 0.5% false rejection rate – often owing to algorithms performing less accurately for certain demographic groups – can result in hundreds of thousands of new users being denied access due to bias.

As services digitize, we face new opportunities and challenges. Biometric technologies can deliver truly convenient and secure identity verification – however, not all biometric vendors perform consistently for inclusivity, accessibility, and bias mitigation. It’s critical to choose wisely: a recent FIDO survey determined that over 50% of consumers would lose trust in a brand or institution if it had a biased biometric system.

Oversights around inclusivity and bias can have severe consequences, excluding users from accessing essential services. As regulations tighten and user expectations evolve, organizations must critically evaluate their biometric vendors to ensure equitable access for all.

This article will demonstrate how to evaluate biometric solutions for inclusivity and accessibility. It will also highlight the tangible benefits of embracing inclusivity and showcase real-world case studies.

Questions To Ask Your Current Biometric Vendor

When evaluating your current biometric vendor, it’s crucial to ask the following questions to ensure they are addressing inclusivity and accessibility:

• Does the solution perform consistently across user groups? Confirm that your biometric system performs consistently for all demographics, including different ages, genders, skin tones, and abilities, and does not create friction or barriers due to biases in algorithms or design.
• Has the vendor made demonstrable efforts to improve inclusivity, accessibility, and bias mitigation? Ask how the vendor approaches inclusivity so you can determine whether it’s an integral part of their solution or just an afterthought.
• Can the vendor provide transparency in their performance data? Ensure the vendor shares metrics on how their system performs across diverse groups, and ask for evidence of third-party audits or bias mitigation efforts.

If the answers raise concerns – or they cannot answer –it’s time to explore more inclusive and accessible alternatives.

Key Inclusivity & Accessibility Differentiators to Look For 

When selecting an inclusive and accessible identity verification and authentication solution, consider the following key differentiators:

1. Compliance With Accessibility Guidelines: Look for vendors that follow the latest web accessibility standards. WCAG 2.2 AA and Section 508 are two leading standards for digital accessibility. WCAG 2.2 prohibits the use of cognitive function tests (e.g., passwords, puzzles) during authentication. iProov is fully WCAG 2.2 compliant, ensuring high usability for all. More generally, prioritize vendors that provide detailed bias performance reporting, including third-party audit results and industry certifications. Conformance demonstrates a vendor’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility for users with cognitive disabilities or impairments. Choosing WCAG 2.2 AA compliant vendors demonstrates accountability.*
2. Proven Inclusivity: Request comprehensive testing data showcasing equitable performance across diverse demographics, including socio-economic group, age, gender, skin tone, and cognitive abilities. This transparency ensures the solution does not discriminate against any user group. Inclusivity reports should be available on a regular bias.
3. Proactive Approach:  Look for vendors with an active inclusion roadmap, continuously working to identify and mitigate potential biases through regular testing, diverse training data, and algorithm adjustments.

Our “Ensuring Equiable and Inclusive Access” report explores all these topics in more depth.

*Note: Conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA is one of the most crucial indicators of inclusivity and accessibility. Many public sector bodies mandate WCAG conformance by law, with the UK enforcing WCAG 2.2 AA from October 2024 and building WCAG into their “accessible digital identity app”.

iProov’s Approach To Inclusivity & Bias

iProov is leading the way in inclusive and ethical facial biometrics. We go beyond guidelines with rigorous bias testing processes, including:

• Diverse Training Data: Our AI models learn from ethically sourced, diverse datasets representing the global user base, mitigating demographic skews.
• Continuous Bias Testing: At minimum quarterly, we conduct comprehensive bias testing across age, gender, and ethnicity – and analyze for new emerging biases.
• Transparent Performance Reporting: Test insights are transparently shared, building trust via third-party audits and detailed bias mitigation roadmaps.
• Human-AI Collaboration: Expert analysts continuously monitor for novel attacks/biases, adjusting algorithms to enhance accuracy and inclusion.

The Decision Framework 

When vetting biometric identity vendors, apply this rigorous framework covering critical factors:

• Accuracy: Insist on comprehensive performance data across global demographics to ensure equitable service delivery.
• Inclusivity and Accessibility: Evaluate training data diversity, WCAG 2.2 conformance, and accessibility for users with disabilities.
• Bias Mitigation: Assess processes like continuous testing, algorithm refinement, and oversight by biometric science experts to identify/address emerging biases proactively.  
• Compliance: Verify the vendor’s solutions meet current and upcoming regulations regarding inclusivity and ethics in your regions/industries.
• Transparency and Ethical AI Principles: Prioritize vendors with public accountability via third-party audits, performance reporting, and ethical AI oversight boards. Ensure alignment with globally recognized tenets like fairness, accountability, privacy protection, and human oversight.

The Costs of Exclusion

Beyond ethics, there are serious legal impacts of biased biometrics like lawsuits, lost revenue, and reputation damage:

• Racial bias lawsuits: Uber faced legal action over discriminatory driver verification terminating accounts of people of color.
• Age discrimination risks: Australia’s Human Rights Commission warned about bias in public decisions and hiring/service access.
• Flawed training data: NIST found higher error rates for ethnic minorities due to biased datasets, prompting Congressional scrutiny.  

Considering Real-World Impact

Facial biometrics can revolutionize industries by providing equitable and efficient identity verification that can overcome traditional barriers and expand access to essential services for diverse user groups. However, for these systems to truly benefit all users, inclusivity must be at the core of their design and implementation.

Below are key sectors where inclusive biometric solutions are making significant strides in enhancing accessibility:

• Finance and Banking: By leveraging biometric verification, financial institutions are not only streamlining customer onboarding but also promoting financial inclusion. Biometrics help bridge gaps for underserved populations who may not have access to traditional forms of identification. Financial inclusion rates have skyrocketed due to digitization, which often leverages biometric verification technologies to onboard and authenticate the new era of online bankers. According to the World Bank, 71% of people had access to a bank account in 2022, up from 42% a decade before. 
• Public Services: Government services, from education to healthcare, are embracing biometric systems to provide easier access for diverse demographic groups. Governments must be able to rapidly and reliably authenticate recipients to distribute funds, benefits, and services to those in need. It’s important to get initiatives right the first time around: digital transformation failures lead to reverting back to expensive and error-prone manual remote verification methods, which express biases of their own.
• Healthcare: In the rapidly growing telehealth market – expected to reach $455.3 billion by 2030 – inclusive biometrics are playing a pivotal role in ensuring patients can access healthcare regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. Telehealth offers significant global benefits, improving access to care in underserved areas. 

The Benefits of Inclusive Face Biometrics

In contrast, inclusive and unbiased facial verification unlocks powerful advantages:

• Expanded Market Reach: Remove barriers to access new demographics and build a larger customer base across diverse communities.
• Improved CX: Smooth onboarding raises conversion rates and brand satisfaction, reducing support costs from exclusionary friction.
• Competitive Edge: Position your brand as ethical and socially responsible, attracting values-aligned consumers.  

The Business Imperative of Trusted Inclusive Face Biometrics

In today’s digital-first climate, inclusive and ethical identity verification is a strategic imperative, not an optional consideration. By selecting vendors that prioritize accuracy, inclusivity, bias mitigation, and globally recognized standards, organizations can create a competitive edge while avoiding costly discrimination pitfalls. It also secures long-term success and grows your customer base, so investing in inclusivity can directly impact your bottom line.

The significance of inclusivity, accessibility, and proactive bias mitigation will only continue to grow as user expectations and regulations evolve. Choosing the right identity verification vendor is crucial for thriving in this landscape.

Download the full “Facial Biometric Verification: Ensuring Equitable and Inclusive Access” report to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for deploying truly inclusive and equitable facial biometrics across industries.

Want to see how an inclusive biometric system can transform your business? Book your demo of iProov’s industry-leading biometric solutions today, and discover how we can help you deliver secure, frictionless user journeys while mitigating bias and improving accessibility for all users.