(ECNS) -- The Tencent-backed Webank app, equipped with the Internet company's cutting-edge facial recognition technology, debuted over the weekend, the Beijing Times reports.
Currently, an electronic account opened with Webank only allows transactions involving deposits and wealth management products, as well as fund transfers between the electronic and bank accounts under the same name; it does not support POS consumption or the transfer of money to others.
Owing to policy restrictions and security concerns, the remote opening of accounts is not allowed, Tencent says. However, after opening an electronic account using the client's real name and identity card as well as binding a debit card under the same name to the electronic account, the client can add yet another bank card, which requires facial recognition for verification.
Some users said Sunday that they passed the facial recognition only after a few attempts, raising questions about whether the system would still work if the user changed their appearance, such as if they put on weight.
Earlier, Huang Feiyue, Tencent-BestImage's research and development supervisor, had said the accuracy of the company's facial recognition technology had reached 99.65 percent, backed by a strategic cooperation between Tencent and the National Citizen Identity Information Center, affiliated to the Ministry of Public Security.
However, if the appearance of the user differs much from their ID photo, the user should contact service staff for manual verification, Huang said.
