Mastercard launches ‘smile to pay’ amid privacy concerns

The company's stab at the biometrics market has raised debate about data storage and tracking

Mastercard is rolling out a controversial programme that will allow shoppers to pay at the till with a mere smile or wave of the hand, as it tries to secure a slice of the $18bn (14.4bn) biometrics market.

While face recognition technology has long raised eyebrows among civil rights groups, the payments giant said it was pushing ahead with a biometric checkout programme it claimed would speed up payments, cut queues and provide more security than a standard credit or debit card.