Privacy preserving biometric authentication based on error correcting codes

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
• transmit, from an authentication device, an error correction code scheme to a first device, the first device configured to receive first biometric data of a user;
• obtain, at the authentication device, registration data from the first device, the registration data including first encoded biometric data, the first encoded biometric data including the first biometric data received by the first device encoded with a first error correction code selected from the error correction code scheme;
• after the registration data is obtained, obtain, at the authentication device, authentication data from the first device that includes second encoded biometric data, the second encoded biometric data including second biometric data of the user obtained at the first device that is encoded with a second error correction code selected from the error correction code scheme;
• and
• authenticate, at the authentication device, the first device based on a relationship between the registration data and the authentication data.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at client device from an authentication device, initialization data including an error correction code and a matrix;
• obtaining, at the client device, a registration input including one or more of:
• a registration biometric template and a registration user identifier, the registration biometric template describing one or more unique characteristics of a first user that are identified by the registration user identifier;
• determining a registration code word based on the error correction code;
• determining a transformed registration biometric template by transforming the registration biometric template using the registration code word;
• hashing the registration code word using the matrix to form a hashed registration code word;
• and
• transmitting, from the client device to the authentication device, registration data including one or more of the transformed registration biometric template, the hashed registration code word, and the registration user identifier, wherein the authentication device authenticates the client device based on the registration data without the authentication device obtaining an original version or a decoded version of the registration biometric template.