Banks may launch remote customer identification as early as 2017

Conceptual approaches to the development of remote identification have been formulated by the Bank of Russia, Minsvyaz and Rosfinmonitoring. The parties also agreed to assign the central function of the infrastructure to the Unified System of Identification and Authentication (USIA). These issues were discussed during Finopolis – 2016 at the panel meeting on the development of the customer identification system for financial institutions and on access to public information resources.

Currently, the accent is on the in-depth study of legal and technical aspects pertaining to the implementation of the conceptual approaches. The initial system is scheduled for a test pilot run at several banks.

‘Once implemented, the remote identification system will allow individuals to get financial services at a totally new level and will improve the accessibility of services in far-off regions’, noted Olga Skorobogatova, Bank of Russia Deputy Governor.

Getting down to details, she said, that the list of operations eligible for the remote customer identification by banks shall be expanded stage by stage. She stressed the need to install all and any control and monitoring measures aimed at minimising the risks in the sphere of countering the legalisation (laundering) of criminally obtained incomes and the financing of terrorism.

As planned, the initial identification will remain to be face-to-face, and customers will have to pass this check in the bank according to the existing rules. After the identification is completed, information will be entered in the single information base designed to become the central infrastructure for data storage. The USIA will share information with other state databases by adjusting information received.

Further, it is planned to supplement the Unified System of Identification and Authentication with biometric data.