CBP plans to expand facial recognition screening for all US travelers
US Customs and Border Protection says it will extend plans for facial recognition of travelers to also include US citizens.
The Biometric Exit program was formulated to register visitors leaving the US but will also scan US residents when they re-enter the country or go through a TSA checkpoint.
This universal scanning system is being dubbed 'The Biometric Pathway.'
"We're going to build this for [Biometric] Exit. We're out of time, we have to. But why not make this available to everyone? Why not look to drive the innovation across the entire airport experience?" said John Wagner, deputy assistant commissioner at CBP.
"As soon as you check in for arrivals or departure, we're going to stage your photo in that database," Wagner told attendees at a recent ConnectID conference.
It would be expanded beyond CBP checkpoints to TSA screening or airport lounge access to include all travelers.
"We want to make it available for every transaction in the airport where you have to show an ID today," he said.
The original Exit biometric program is being tested on a Atlanta-Toyko flight and will roll out to seven more airports this summer.
"We are working closely with stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of biometric exit and exploring potential for inbound arrivals and other processes," a CBP spokesperson told The Verge.
