The technology is already being used at 15 airports—including three abroad—to speed pre-approved travelers through the customs process.
The
Global Entry program allows frequent travelers who are considered “low
risk” to bypass CBP officers and go directly to baggage claim after
visiting a kiosk. To date, Global Entry at most airports consists of
scanning the traveler’s passport and fingerprint at the machine before
being cleared to enter the country.
Going forward, CBP will be
streamlining that process, instead offering travelers pre-approved
through the program the ability to use facial biometrics for clearance,
eliminating the need for a passport or fingerprint.
CBP started
implementing facial recognition for Global Entry through a pilot program
at Orlando International Airport in June 2018. Since that time, the
program has expanded to 14 more airports, including two in Ireland and
one in the Bahamas (full list below).
On Monday, the agency released a privacy impact statement detailing how the program will roll out at airports across the country, becoming the standard for Global Entry.
The
kiosks used for the Global Entry program already have cameras that take
photos of travelers, though many will be upgraded or replaced as the
program expands. As the facial recognition program rolls out, these
kiosks will default to using that technology. CBP also plans to include
privacy notices on the upgraded machines informing travelers of the new
process.
Once a photo is taken, the image is matched against a gallery
compiled from CBP’s Automated Targeting System, or ATS, Unified
Passenger Module, or UPAX, system.
“CBP may have captured these
images from U.S. passports or visas, previous entry inspections, and/or
other DHS encounters, including Global Entry enrollment photos,”
according to the privacy statement. “The [Traveler Verification Service]
then generates a biometric template for each gallery photograph and
stores the template, but not the actual photograph, in the TVS cloud for
matching when the traveler arrives at the Global Entry kiosk.”
The
images taken at the kiosk are saved to the Homeland Security
Department’s massive Automated Biometric Identity System, or IDENT,
which the agency is the process of transferring to a new, cloud-based Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology, or HART, system.
“When
comparing photos for a facial recognition match, TVS uses travel
document photos as well as recently taken photos to improve accuracy
because up to date photos may match better than document photos,” the
privacy document states.
Per the impact statement, the shift to using facial recognition would lower the privacy risk to travelers, as the program already took photos at the kiosks and no longer needs to collect fingerprints.
An
important note in the impact statement clarifies that enrollees are not
required to use the facial recognition program and can instead opt to
use the passport and fingerprint method, which will remain available. A
CBP spokesperson also told Nextgov the kiosks will default to
the passport and fingerprint method if there is a technical problem with
the facial recognition scan.
Travelers are also still required to
provide a copy of their passport and fingerprints at the time of
enrollment in Global Entry.
Current list of participating airports:
- Aruba–Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA)
- Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
- Dublin Airport, Ireland (DUB)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Houston–Hobby International Airport (HOU)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (IAH)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Nassau–Sir Lynden Pindling International Airport, Bahamas (NAS)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- Shannon Airport, Ireland (SNN)