University of Florida debuts facial authentication for sports events
The University of Florida has begun using a new facial-authentication system to streamline the process of admitting attendees to its games.
A local ABC affiliate reported that the technology will be used at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and other UF venues for the purpose of reducing wait times for entry. The university’s stadium, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, will reportedly be the first in the nation to begin using this particular system.
To join the fast line and have their faces scanned, sports fans must first sign up online.
“Completely free to sign up. It’s open to any fan. It’s as simple as taking a selfie, it really is,” UF Associate Athletic Director Mike Castle told WCJB20. “When you arrive to the stadium, there’s express entry lanes, designated only for express entry so you get to bypass the lines, go straight through the stadium.”
A Florida Gators website advertising the system says that those who sign up can “skip the lines” after they “simply stand in front of the facial scanner … No need to pull out your phone, wallet or ticket.”
The website claims that: “No electronic data is being created, stored, processed or transmitted by the University of Florida. Any data creation, storage, processing and transmittal is solely with Wicket.”
The website also claims that the system is different than facial recognition, because it only confirms that the face associated with a given account has purchased a ticket — it can not be used to passively scan for individuals based on identifying a particular face.
