BAD news for the camera-shy: internet shopping may now involve taking selfies.

The latest technology developed by Mastercard dispenses with the need for easily forgotten passwords. Instead it uses a system called SecureCode, part of which includes a photo of the individual taken on a smartphone then using it at the checkout point of purchase, rather than a password

That system may work for the young and nubile but for oldies like me it has its limitations. If I sent a selfie taken first thing in the morning, without make-upr a decent time spent in preparation, I wouldn’t only not be allowed into the Mastercard system, I probably wouldn’t be allowed into the human race.