Russia Sees Fivefold Surge in Biometric Service Usage in First Half of 2025

Over the past six months, the Unified Biometric System (UBS) has provided 5.9 million services, which is five times greater than the total from the previous three years, as reported by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation. This statistic only accounts for services directly offered by the UBS and does not include banking services that utilize biometric data.

According to the ministry’s information, 930,000 services were provided through the UBS by February 2025, which increased to 5.9 million by July. The statistics focus solely on transaction services supported by the ministry, such as issuing fan cards, providing enhanced qualified electronic signatures, registering virtual SIM cards (eSIM), remotely opening businesses, and facilitating communication contracts for foreign citizens.

The statistics include data from users who registered their biometric information since 2021. This year, the system was granted the status of a state information system, and all banks connected to it. The UBS also contains imported biometric data collected by banks. These were incorporated into the UBS at the end of 2023.

Organizations can offer services based on biometric data in two ways: through direct interaction with the UBS (transactional approach) or through accredited entities, which include 16 credit institutions and the Ministry of Digital Development itself. The latter is known as the vector approach.

As of January 1, 2025, a new law requires foreign citizens to register their biometric data in the UBS before purchasing a SIM card. All SIM cards issued to foreign nationals before this date must be re-registered according to the new rules by July 1, 2025. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, over 6 million foreign citizens arrived in Russia in 2024, with an average of 6 to 7 million foreign nationals residing in the country each year.

Karen Kazaryan, the CEO of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Institute for Internet Studies,” believes the increase in services rendered is linked to the impact of the new law. Kazaryan notes that the UBS statistics are released irregularly, making it challenging to track trends. He argues that biometric technologies have not achieved widespread adoption as they do not offer unique advantages and are merely seen as an alternative method of identity verification.

Alexander Naumov, Deputy Head of the Non-Profit Partnership «National Financial Market Council,» shares that there is currently low interest in using biometric data from both citizens and organizations. He highlights that three years ago, banks actively encouraged clients to submit their biometric data, but this practice has become less common. According to Naumov, to increase interest, access to the system should be simplified, and fees for using control templates and vectors in the UBS should be temporarily waived. He recalls that similar measures were utilized when launching the Fast Payment System and are also proposed for the digital ruble.

Naumov also points out that Russians are hesitant to submit biometric data to the state, leading to limited mass adoption of the technology over the years. He asserts that to drive demand, it is essential to further develop remote services utilizing biometrics and allow banks to innovate their biometric services independently, targeting the younger, economically active demographic accustomed to online services.

Alexey Muntyan, co-founder of the Regional Privacy Professionals Association and a personal data protection expert, believes the increase in services offered is a result of government efforts. Muntyan observes that biometrics are being integrated through regulatory mechanisms into identification and authentication processes, including interactions with government entities. He mentions that biometrics are also being adopted in sectors like hospitality, where guests can undergo biometric authentication without presenting passports. Muntyan emphasizes that low demand from citizens is primarily due to concerns over personal data breaches, as biometric information cannot be changed like a password in case of compromise.

German Gref, President and Chairman of the Board of Public Joint Stock Company “Sberbank of Russia,” reported that the level of fraud using biometric payments at the bank has been zero over the past eighteen months. Gref made this statement during a meeting with the president of the Russian Federation.

According to Gref, Russia is the only country where security and speed in biometric payments are ensured at a systemic level. He added that payments now take mere seconds, with a simple smile at the terminal sufficing. In 2024, significant investments were directed towards installing biometric terminals, leading to active user engagement with the technology. By the end of the first quarter of 2025, the volume of payments made using biometric methods surpassed the total for the entire year of 2024.