When fingerprint or DNA comparison is not possible, law enforcement services can use facial image comparison to compare the image of a person with one that may already be registered in the database. The use of facial image comparison is becoming increasingly common, for example in cases involving paedophile crime or ATM explosions.
Facial image comparison is an additional method for the biometric identification of individuals and complements the time-consuming manual comparison of facial images. Technological developments are proving a game-changer, and the success rates and reliability of facial image comparison are improving all the time.
In addition to the long-standing biometric identification methods that are already in use – in particular DNA analysis and fingerprinting – Switzerland also plans to introduce facial image comparison. An appropriate module has been incorporated into the AFIS2026 project, which is scheduled for roll-out in 2026.
Last modification 11.05.2023
