26.01.2021 Face surveillance vs Facial Authentication: What is it and why should biometric mass surveillance be banned in the public space? Live Webinar - Register here! Often when people think of facial recognition, they think about unlocking their phones with their face. Facial authentication is used to verify that someone is who they say they are, when for example gaining secured access to a building or traveling through a passport gate. This is a one-to-one comparison. Facial recognition, on the other hand, is used to identify a person in crowds, on the streets or in pictures, so you can see who someone is. This means a face can be matched with a huge database of faces to determine who you are, even without your consent. This is a one-to-many comparison.