---
title: "New York City Subway System Asks Apple to Improve Masked Face ID"
description: "New York's mass transportation agency, fed up with folks taking off their masks to unlock their iPhones, wants Apple to improve facial recognition features."
date: "2020-08-10"
modified: "2020-08-10"
authors:
  - name: "Jacob Banas"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jake"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-york-mta-subways-apple-improve-facial-recognition"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "apple"
  - "coronavirus"
  - "phones"
  - "the digest"
---

# New York City Subway System Asks Apple to Improve Masked Face ID

![New York's mass transportation agency, fed up with folks taking off their masks to unlock their iPhones, wants Apple to improve facial recognition features.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/new-york-mta-apple-improve-facial-recognition.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Mask On

New York City's subway-running Metropolitan Transit Agency, fed up with folks taking off their masks to unlock their iPhones, wants Apple to improve their iPhones' facial recognition features. In a letter to CEO Tim Cook obtained by [The Associated Press](<https://apnews.com/73ea27104f60969bc223259b1460c5fd>), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Patrick Foye complained that too many riders were seen removing their masks to unlock phones even though Apple [recently simplified](<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210393#135>) the unlock process for people wearing masks.

## Loading

Some masks have been shown to [thwart facial recognition](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/medical-face-masks-thwart-china-facial-recognition>) programs, to the point of being a [government concern](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/government-leak-cops-terrified-masks-block-facial-recognition>) last month. Before Apple's software update in May, users wearing masks would have to wait a few seconds while face-recognition features tried and failed to authorize them before asking for a passcode. Now masked iPhone users are able to swipe up and enter a passcode immediately, so in theory, there shouldn't be any need to remove a face covering while riding an MTA bus or train.

## Now Delayed

The MTA Chairman's letter comes at a unique time. MTA ridership, the fares from which the MTA depends on, plummeted [almost 90%](<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/nyregion/nyc-mta-subway-coronavirus.html>) during the height of the coronavirus epidemic in New York City. The request to improve facial recognition comes just two months after two US Senators [proposed banning police](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/senators-propose-national-ban-police-facial-recognition>) use of the technology and after previous arguments from experts that such technology should be [banned from everyday life](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/facial-recognition-banned-everyday-life>).

**READ MORE:** [MTA asks Apple's help to solve iPhone mask issues](<https://apnews.com/73ea27104f60969bc223259b1460c5fd>) \[AP\]

**More on Facial Recognition:** [Government leak: Cops terrified masks will block facial recognition](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/government-leak-cops-terrified-masks-block-facial-recognition>)

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobjbanas/>)