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 ones 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 months 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

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.

Security of ones 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 peoples perceptions of biometrics as
passwords today.
Consumers understand that they need to secure
their devices and do so, even though they may find
it inconvenient at times.

Please rank the following list based on

what you find most frustrating about your
tech devices. (Top ranked)

Millennials

35+

23%
7%
Touch screens/devices getting dirty
through regular usage

16%
7%

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.

Syncing up multiple devices

9%
18%
Too many devices

21%
26%
Keeping them charged

18%

27%
Multiple passwords on multiple devices

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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.

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)

Millennials
You tend to use
the same 1 or 2
passwords on most
of your sites

35+

29%

64%

37%

You have different

passwords on
almost every site
that you use

58%

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.
So how does good enough play into the story of biometrics vs. passwords?
Four in ten people find biometrics in
Knowing [that biometrics can replace passwords]
which of the following statements comes closer to your views?

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

61%

This is the wave of the future

39%

I find it creepy that my personal data

would be stored somewhere like this

head around what biometrics means in

their day-to-day lives, they do believe
that this is the way things are headed.

Notably, MIllennials were more likely

to believe that this was a secure,
convenient alternative to passwords:

Knowing [that biometrics

can replace passwords]
which of the following
statements comes closer
to your views?

Millennials

75%
65%

55%
45%

51%

49%

35%
25%

35+

I think the technology

wouldnt work well

I think it would be
more convenient

I prefer entering
a password

I think it would be
more secure this way

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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.

You mentioned you use voice recognition on some of your tech

devices. Why do you use this feature? Please select all that apply.

Millennials

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
individuals 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.

35+

53%
32%
Allows me to multitask

54%
55%
Faster than looking things up

36%
32%
Keeps me from having to touch a device with dirty/gloved fingers

37%

58%
Keeps me from having to look down at my device

IN SUMMARY
Until biometrics becomes a way of life, its 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.

1) Consumers know they are vulnerable and need to

take steps to secure their devices.

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.

3) Millennials already believe biometrics work and

will take away some headaches, allowing them to
secure their devices in a way thats innovative,
sleek, and intuitive.

Reconciling these conflicting values means marketers

will have to recognize the following:

2) A s the number of devices increases, consumers

want to reduce the complexity of managing them
all, including how they manage their security.

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.

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
TM
Architecture of Opinion through Foresight by BSG. To learn more, please contact Asha Choksi at achoksi@bsgco.com.

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