Cybersecurity
Macau's ATMs Are Using Facial Recognition to Help Follow the Money
- Facial-recognition software being tested with China UnionPay
- China trying to curb capital outflows that topped $816 billion
An ATM equipped with facial-recognition system in Macau.
Photographer: Billy H.C. Kwok/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Chinese bettors withdrawing money from some ATMs in Macau need to do more than punch in their PIN code. They also have to stare into a camera for six seconds so facial-recognition software can verify their identity and help monitor transactions.
Regulators in the world’s most lucrative gaming hub are deploying machines with “Minority Report”-style technology to keep tabs on capital outflows from China and watch for potential money laundering schemes. China UnionPay Co.’s network is the first to use the software, which will be installed in all the city’s 1,200 cash dispensers.