Homeland Security Wants Facial Recognition For All Entering or Leaving US

The federal government is considering changing airport security in a major way. Facial recognition technology is being used everywhere from our iPhones to CCTV cameras in the streets. The technology is also being used for years for non-US citizens arriving in the states but it has not been a requirement for the US citizens up til now. 

But now the Homeland Security wants to expand the use of facial recognition technology for anyone entering and leaving the US. In a recent filing, the DHS proposed amending existing regulations “to provide that all travelers, including US citizens, may be required to be photographed upon entry and/or departure” from the United States, such as at airports.

Director of entry/exit policy and planning at the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Hardin, told CNN Business that for now, the rule is in the ‘final stages of clearance’. But since it hasn’t been cleared yet, the rule won’t go into effect until after a period of public comment. 

Facial recognition technology has become ubiquitous in recent years with technology becoming remarkably common in airports throughout the world. DHS has to roll out facial recognition technology to the 20 largest airports of the US by 2021. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection said the agency ‘will ensure that the public has the opportunity to comment prior to the implementation of any regulation’ and the agency was ‘committed to its privacy obligations.’