The major telecoms company AT&T recently tracked employee attendance to find so-called ‘freeloaders’. Specifically, AT&T tracked employee attendance using an automated system that includes methods like geo-fencing, mobile check-in, and biometric readers. This system enabled managers to see real-time attendance status and receive alerts for unplanned absences.
Facial authentication can improve workplace security, but adoption must be transparent, ethical, and paced thoughtfully to avoid backlash. In this recent case, AT&T acknowledged that their attendance tracking system was not fully accurate and as a result this caused frustration among employees.
The technology deployed by AT&T was initially used to identify non-compliance with return-to-office policies. After this, management opted to extend it, and the aftermath created an adverse reaction from their employees.
Beyond this incident, the concept of attendance tracking underscores a bigger trend. This has led many commentators to declare that there needs to be ethical boundaries when using this technology.
Mike Nielsen, CMO of RealSense, a pioneer in AI-powered computer vision, and expert in biometrics, has highlighted the ethical use of biometric data collection.
Some companies see advantages in the adoption of this form of technology:
Convenience & Speed: Facial authentication enables seamless, hands-free authentication, eliminating the need for physical credentials and reducing entry-point friction.
Security & Fraud Prevention: Advanced algorithms and liveness detection mitigate risks of spoofing, identity fraud, and unauthorized access attempts.
Cost Savings: Single-factor biometric authentication reduces expenses associated with credential replacement, administrative overhead, and scalability challenges.
However, as Neilson points out, facial authentication technology raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding privacy, consent, and data security. Enterprises must navigate these issues while concurrently ensuring compliance with a complex regulatory landscape.
Nielsen has contributed to the RealSense and The Access Control Collective white paper, ‘The Ethical Application of Facial Authentication in Enterprise Access Control in Western Markets‘. This document covers:
- Key ethical challenges and how to address them
- Best practices for responsible enterprise deployment
- How to balance safety, security, and employee trust
As such, the document argues there is a middle ground. By examining the interplay between technology, compliance, and ethical responsibility, this paper provides a framework for organisations seeking to deploy facial authentication for access control in a way that enhances security while respecting privacy and regulatory requirements.
The paper recommends that the best way to strike a balance is through detailed policy development. This should include establishing clear stances surrounding the ethical use of facial authentication for access control helps ease concerns and defines the unknowns for potential users.
This could include:
- Employ No Surveillance Policies – Communicate that facial authentication is used strictly for authentication, not for tracking or monitoring.
- Commit to Regulatory Compliance as a Baseline –Organisations should proactively implement higher standards for data protection, security, and privacy rather than just meeting minimum legal requirements.
Prioritise Local Processing – Commit to edge-based facial authentication processing where possible to maintain greater control over biometric data. - Engage in Data Minimization and User Control – Take a strict approach to data collection by only storing what is necessary and allowing users to review, manage, or delete their biometric data upon request.
By prioritising privacy, security, and transparency, the report takes the position that organisations can harness the benefits of facial authentication while mitigating potential risks.
