Public Support for the Use of Facial Recognition Technology to Prevent Credit Card Fraud

This exploratory research examined the level of support and correlates of public support for using Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) to prevent credit card fraud. Based on the results from a Pew Research Survey Trends on the American Trends Panel, the study investigated two questions. First, what is the level of public support for using FRT to verify the identity of credit card holders? Second, which factors are most influential in supporting FRT use in retail environments? Our preliminary study demonstrated modest support for FRT in preventing credit card fraud and identified multiple factors that either positively or negatively affected support for its use. Black respondents showed less support for FRT use in retail settings than other racial/ethnic groups. Older male respondents, and more active internet users, were more supportive of FRT use to prevent credit card fraud. Conversely, those with liberal political leanings and reporting higher levels of education were less supportive of FRT use. We conclude by advocating for more research on public support for FRT in private spaces.