China’s Biometric Payment Scheme

The mobile app will be available for download next year.

The initial report didn’t make clear how the system would know that the photo was indeed of the authorized shopper, as opposed to an image a thief might have obtained of a victim. Presumably, a timestamp—showing that the photo was shot at the time of the transaction—and geolocation data (showing that the photo was shot where the mobile transaction was being attempted) could address some of those issues, but it’s unclear what would prevent someone from stealing a victim’s payment data and then shooting the victim’s picture and quickly making an online transaction.