Tokyo 2020 to up security with face recognition

Inspired by the Fan ID used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Tokyo Organising Committee of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has announced a new system of identification that will be used at the Games.

Tokyo 2020 announced a face recognition system that will be used by some attendees to verify their identity including athletes, officials, staff members and media representatives.

This will be the first time such technology is used at the Olympics, reflecting Tokyo 2020’s commitment to deliver the most innovative Games in history.

In 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea,drones were used to enhance security, but a an advanced scanning of accredited individuals used at 2016 Games in Rio, Brazil will be made stronger by the facial recognition.

NEC Corporation, a Tokyo 2020 Gold Partner, will provide the system, with facial images of every accredited person collected beforehand and stored in a database; these will be used to verify identities at accreditation check points.

It will improve overall comfort and convenience, with verification being processed automatically and instantaneously, helping to ensure a safe and secure Games. Tokyo 2020 Executive Director of Security Tsuyoshi Iwashita commented, “The key to Games security is to prevent unauthorised people or items from entering venues. Tokyo 2020 will utilise an automated face recognition system for accredited people, a first for an Olympic or Paralympic Games, to prevent unauthorised access.

This latest technology will enable strict identification of accredited people compared with relying solely on the eyes of security staff, and also enables swift entry to venues which will be necessary in the intense heat of summer.