<\/p>\n
Los Angeles FC is the latest to roll a fully integrated biometric system for fans attending games at their BMO Stadium, following in the footsteps of fellow MLS side Columbus Crew in a series of switches to biometric access systems for stadia.<\/p>\n
But while the move is starting to find traction outside the US for clubs and bodies looking to provide holistic digital engagement with supporters, stricter regulation about data protection and governance in the UK and EU will require operators looking to follow LAFC\u2019s approach will mean much greater scrutiny from regulators.<\/p>\n
Dom White, a data protection expert with Pinsent Masons, said that the use of technology such as facial recognition to grant stadium access would put it within the scope of special category personal data under GDPR rules for the UK and EU data regimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven it is optional or designed to improve the fan experience, clubs must meet the higher compliance threshold that applies to biometric processing,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are issues around transparency and how biometric data is stored, particularly given the sensitivity of the data and the general expectation that fans can attend matches without providing biometrics.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor UK and European clubs, while biometric access systems can deliver operational benefits, their long\u2011term success will hinge on getting compliance right, tightly defining how the data is used, and being open and clear with fans from the outset,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is also a clear cultural difference compared with the US. In the UK and much of Europe, football has a long\u2011standing tradition of fan autonomy, and there is generally far less tolerance for technologies that feel like surveillance or that control access to the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Facial recognition systems, operated with ticket providers, have also increasingly found favour in other US sport venues, where they have been deployed to speed up access through ticket gates or allow fans to pay at the cash-free concession stands.<\/p>\n
But Europe\u2019s stricter legislation means clubs and bodies must take greater care \u2013 with Spanish football giants Barcelona fined \u20ac500,000 earlier this year by the country\u2019s data protection authority (AEPD) for failing to carry out appropriate digital impact assessments when gathering biometric data during its mandatory census of 143,000 club members.<\/p>\n
The census collated biometric selfie and ID scan data, along with optional voice data, leading to complaints the club had included minors, consent had not been explicitly asked and previous members who did not complete the census had lost their membership with the club.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s football league, La Liga, was also fined \u20ac1 million last year for similarly breaching rules around implementing impact assessments when trialling facial recognition to improve stadium security and safety \u2013 a ruling the league has since appealed.<\/p>\n
The case highlights that, while new legislation regarding ticketless entry to matches and the use of facial recognition to identify trouble in stadium crowds reflects the strengthening of legal frameworks around match day safety, clubs are still required to introduce solutions proportionally.<\/p>\n