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Voice Biometrics

Definition

Voice biometrics verifies identity based on unique vocal characteristics — pitch, tone, cadence, and vocal tract shape. In eKYC, voice can serve as an additional biometric factor during Video KYC or as a standalone verification method.


Voice in eKYC

Use Case How It Works
V-KYC speaker verification Verify the person on video call is who they claim (voice + face)
Voice-based authentication "My voice is my password" — voiceprint matching
Voice anti-spoofing Detect recorded, synthetic, or cloned voice
Accessibility Voice-guided eKYC for visually impaired users

Voice Anti-Spoofing (ASVspoof)

Attack Method
Replay Play recorded voice of victim
TTS (Text-to-Speech) Generate victim's voice synthetically
Voice cloning Clone voice using AI (ElevenLabs, VALL-E)
Voice conversion Transform attacker's voice to sound like victim

Key Takeaways

Summary

  • Voice biometrics adds a second modality to face-based eKYC
  • Voice cloning (AI-generated voice) is a growing threat — parallels deepfake for face
  • Most practical in Video KYC where audio is already captured
  • Key providers: Nuance (Microsoft), ID R&D, Pindrop