USAA has been analyzing the data on its new biometric login system for its mobile app, and has found results that some may find surprising. According to an American Banker article by Bailey Reutzel, data on who was embracing the new login system did not skew towards millennials.
The data barely skewed in any direction, in fact. According to Rick Swenson, a USAA executive, the median age of these users is 35, with about half on each side. Moreover, seniors made up a full 15 percent of those in the half skewing older. Interviewed for the article, communications consultant Keith Gold suggested that biometric login systems may actually be easier for seniors to use, given that those with impaired faculties might have difficulties using passwords and PINs on mobile devices. After all, USAA’s biometric login system, like many others, was implemented to improve both security and user experience.
Initially, the system used a combination of facial and voice recognition to authenticate users, and now it also allows for fingerprint authentication. According to Swenson, customer feedback has indicated that fingerprint and facial recognition are the most popular modalities, while voice biometrics lags as users feel self-conscious speaking a security phrase aloud. It goes to show how far the smartphone has come from the traditional phone: People are happy to type on their smartphones but embarrassed to talk into them.
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