JP MORGAN FORCES BIOMETRIC SCANNING AT NEW MANHATTAN TOWER – The move is said to be primarily focused on enhancing building security
JP Morgan Chase is now requiring employees moving into its new multibillion-dollar New York headquarters to share their biometric data—either a fingerprint or an eye scan—to gain access to the building.
The mandate marks a significant shift from the investment bank’s earlier plan to keep biometric registration voluntary. According to internal communications, employees who started work at the new Manhattan skyscraper since August have been told that biometric access is “required” instead of the traditional ID badge swipe.
The state-of-the-art headquarters, which cost approximately £2.25 billion to build, is set to house around 10,000 employees once fully occupied later this year. While the bank declined to comment publicly, the move is understood to be primarily focused on enhancing building security.
Though the bank is making biometric access mandatory for the vast majority of staff, some employees will still be granted exemptions to use traditional ID badges, though the criteria for these exceptions remain unclear. This strict requirement at the New York HQ contrasts with other JP Morgan offices, including the one in London, where the use of hand biometrics remains voluntary.
