Week 4: A Research Proposal

My research subject is a bit of a work in progress still – it’s a little broad and may require further narrowing down – but now I have a main topic in what I’d like to do: I’d like to conduct research on Apple’s bio-authentication methods, specifically Face ID and Touch ID. Although I’m focusing on Apple’s technologies (mostly because it’s what I have access to and am familiar with), the fact that bio-authentication is present on essentially every single modern smartphone of any platform made in the past few years is a testament to its significance as a topic. Additionally, I’d also like to touch on public perception of trust in these authentication methods and conduct a survey – do we truly trust biometrics, or are we trading privacy for convenience?

In a nutshell: How do Apple’s bio-authentication methods work, and why do we rely on them?


I’ll be conducting my research by experimenting and surveying people.

As for the experiments, they’ll primarily be on the criteria necessary for a successful scan. Due to there being two main authentication methods involved, there will need to be two experiments: one with Face ID on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and one with Touch ID on an iPad Air 4.

As for the survey, I'll be asking four questions:
  1. Do you use bio-authentication on any of your electronic devices? If so, why?
    1. If not, why?
  2. Do you trust that your biometric information is secure on your device? If so, please explain why.
    1. If not, why?
  3. Do you trust the manufacturer of your device with your information in the cloud? If so, why?
    1. If not, why?
  4. Do you believe that it is worth sacrificing some privacy for the sake of convenience? Keep in mind that most people are not criminals and are not sought after by government and surveillance agencies.
In terms of results I’m expecting, I’d expect that those two authentication technologies rely on a combination of features rather than just one of them; I use these devices daily after all, and occasionally it unlocks even if it’s an imperfect scan - like when I brush my teeth, have damp fingers, or have my face partially covered up by a pillow.

For the survey, I would expect that most people do in fact use biometrics on their smart devices to unlock them. However, I would like to learn if people only trust these technologies because they’re easy to use.

It's going to be a bit of a challenge finding peer-reviewed resources, however, because all of this is relatively new.

See you next week! Over and out.

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