TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chunghwa Post plans to roll out facial recognition at 40 to 50 ATM machines around Taiwan in the first half of 2026.

Chunghwa Post will trial the technology in accordance with guidelines promoted by the Financial Supervisory Commission aimed at preventing fraud. The postal service will join eight major banks in the country that have already begun rolling out the technology, reported UDN.

At ATMs equipped with the technology, users will receive a warning if they are wearing face masks, sunglasses, or helmets that obstruct the camera’s view of their face. Chunghwa Post ATMs will also reportedly issue an audible sound that will persist until the user makes their face visible.

The new government guidelines call for 20% of ATMs operated by state-run banks in Taiwan to have AI facial recognition software installed by the end of 2026. State-run and private banks that already use AI facial recognition security features include CTBC, Mega Bank, First Bank, Taishin Bank, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, Hua Nan Bank, Cathay United Bank, and Land Bank of Taiwan, with more to follow over the coming months.

Chunghwa Post currently operates more than 3,100 ATMs throughout the country. Depending on the results of the initial trial, the state-owned postal company will likely expand its use over the next few years.

Further efforts to reduce fraud include the forcible closing of accounts that have been flagged as suspicious. Last year, 10,619 accounts were flagged by Chunghwa Post, which set a target of closing approximately 50% of the accounts within one year.

As of March, only about 15% of accounts suspected of fraudulent activity had been closed, per UDN. Chunghwa Post remains committed to reducing fraud by implementing a wide array of security measures, including more rigorous requirements to open accounts and better employee training to recognize signs of fraud.