Soon , you could pay for goods simply by showing your face to a scanner . Identifying faces from closed-circuit-television ( CCTV ) footage can be challenging -- as demonstrated after the Boston Marathon bombings earlier this year . Government agencies are keen to use the technology , with the stated aim of fighting crime . The scanners have been in place since 2009 and were first used at Heathrow Airport last year - but they will be rolled out across Britain from next year. Critics warn of the `` compromising '' risks of giving intimate information away .
Soon , you could pay for goods simply by showing your face to a scanner . Government agencies are keen to use the technology , with the stated aim of fighting crime . The scanners have been in place since 2009 and were first used at Heathrow Airport last year - but they will be rolled out across Britain from next year. Critics warn of the `` compromising '' risks of giving intimate information away .