US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun testing facial recognition technology on outbound international passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.
The trial will test the ability of CBP’s information systems to automatically compare images of travelers departing the USA against previously provided images. Passengers will have their image taken while they present their boarding pass, which will then be compared and held in a secure data system for post-departure analysis. The entire process will take less than three seconds.
The test will only affect travelers on one daily flight from the USA to Japan until September 30, 2016. Passengers between the ages of 14 and 79 will be required to participate in the test. Passengers who travel with a US passport will not have their data retained for the purposes of the test once it is confirmed they are the true document holder.
John Wagner, deputy executive assistant commissioner, Office of Field Operations, CBP, said, “As CBP works toward deploying a comprehensive biometric exit system, it is important that we continue to test available technology and our systems capabilities.
“Our goal remains to implement a biometric exit system that conforms with existing standard operating procedures so that the incorporation of biometrics has minimal impact to airlines, airports and the traveling public.”
