Biometrics Could Help the Gaming Industry with Cybercrime and Age Verification

Look, gaming platforms with their advertising revenues will always be an attractive target for cybercriminals. Especially since 74% of all in-app purchases are done via online games. There’s money in-gaming apps, and hackers are actively looking for ways to grab it. But the good news is that implementing the latest technological advances can be very effective in protecting the assets of both the game developers and gamers. Biometric facial recognition is a convenient way to verify users’ identities and make sure they are who they claim to be. What’s more, biometrics can help to confirm the age of players in age-restricted games. Whether it’s a cool online casino game like Blazing Star or an exciting multiplayer shooter like Fortnite, biometrics can increase the level of security for everyone. So let’s take a closer look at how it would work. Ready?

How Biometrics Work

Facial recognition means identifying someone from their face. The biometrics software first captures and then analyzes the person’s facial patterns. It compares the details to a previously taken photo of the person. It’s a three-step process that starts with detecting a face. Then the facial features are transformed into digital data. And finally, the identity of the person is either confirmed or not.

Defending Games Against Fraudsters

According to gaming industry statistics, during November 2017-March 2019, there were over 12 billion cyberattacks targeting players’ financial information. A successful account takeover could result in significant financial damage for the victim. Other known scams involve duplicating ads to obtain fees for them and tricking the awards system with bots to gain an advantage over other players in a game.

Gaming industry companies could effectively defend the games against deepfakes and synthetic fraud by implementing biometric authentication. Because here’s the thing: if an operator asks for a selfie with an ID, then that requirement in itself will cut down the fraud attempts. And even if someone would want to give it a try and attempt to fool the facial recognition software, there isn’t really a way to do that. It’s impossible to “fake” the other person’s facial features.

And once there’s a 3D map of a player’s face, the operators can later use it to authenticate the person quickly for later transactions. This makes identity management faster and more efficient.

ITL launches API for the Online Gaming Industry

Here’s some gaming industry news: Innovative Technology (ITL) now has the ICU device out that’s specifically designed for gaming. This device estimates the scanned person’s age after performing biometric face recognition. The intelligent identification system can be integrated with most customer software and smartphone cameras. It’s perfect for preventing underage gambling in online casinos or younger kids playing age-restricted games. And, of course, it can also be used to identify the VIP customers and make sure that only they can access their account.

Conclusion

The gaming industry’s growth is all about adapting to the latest innovations. And biometrics with facial recognition technology is one of the hottest new solutions out there. It’s easy to implement and use. Face detection does not only make the verification processes more secure but also quicker. So it’s time for companies to start creating new jobs in the gaming industry and start hiring biometrics experts to their teams. It’s the future of player identification.

Have you ever identified yourself via selfie biometrics? Let us know in the comments section.