SECURITY IN A SNAP
CBP to test facial recognition camera system in San Luis
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that it will test a facial recognition system on pedestrian travelers at the Port of Entry in San Luis.
Called a facial comparison technical demonstration, the purpose is to test a camera that will be used to take photographs of pedestrians entering the United States, and then to evaluate how well the picture taken compares to the images associated with the travel documents the travelers present.
“This technical demonstration will help inform the agency on next steps to developing and implementing biometric entry/exit in the land border pedestrian environment,” said Petra Horne, the Tucson Field Office’s acting director. “Similar to how this technology has had a positive impact on traffic flow in the air environment, we anticipate the same in the pedestrian environment.”
A camera will be placed at the processing booth. As the traveler approaches, the camera will automatically take a photo. The CBP officer will then review and query the traveler’s travel document, which will retrieve the photo from government holdings. The photo of the traveler will then be compared to the travel document photo.
U.S. citizens do not have to have their photo taken. If they wish to undergo alternative screening procedures, they should advise the CBP officer when they approach primary.
The demonstration is to assess the camera’s ability to capture a quality facial image for each person and to evaluate the biometric matching accuracy of images captured.
CBP says the agency will expand this technical demonstration to the Port of Nogales Dennis DeConcini Crossing later this year and will add an exit technical demonstration in Spring 2019.
The agency also says it is committed to its privacy obligations and has taken steps to safeguard the privacy of all travelers. CBP has employed strong technical security safeguards and has limited the amount of personally identifiable information used in the new biometric process.
Photos of U.S. citizens will be deleted after an individual is matched to a U.S. citizenship document. While CBP will not retain photos of U.S. citizens, pictures taken of foreign nationals will be stored in a secure DHS system.
Facial biometrics will improve CBP’s entry and exit identification of travelers, which will enhance CBP’s ability to secure the border, identify persons of interest, and improve reporting and analysis of travelers entering and departing the United States.
This technology demonstration is a direct result of recommendations from the 9/11 Commission, and addresses Congressional mandates to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 5396854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.