The CBP’S new facial recognition software already appears to be making its mark. Just 3 days after introducing the technology, Washington DC’s Dulles Airport has apprehended its first imposter. A 26 year old man from Sao Paulo, Brazil was the culprit.
On Wednesday, the man presented a French passport to the US Customs and Boarder Protection official on duty. Using the new Facial Comparison Biometric System, the officer recognized that the visitor’s face did not match his passport. He was then sent to a secondary screening. At this screening, the agents noticed the man was visibly nervous. This prompted them to perform a search and that was when they found his real ID hiding beneath an insert in his shoe. Come to find out the man was from The Congo and not France. He was quickly apprehended, processed and sent back to Brazil.
The perpetrator’s identity is currently being withheld pending further investigation.
This was a monumental win for the new technology that is seen by many as the future of airport security. Pilot programs are currently being conducted in 14 airports across the nation with the goal of eventually integrating this process into every airport. The hope from TSA is that Biometric Facial Recognition will one day replace both passenger boarding passes and IDs. This should not only bolster our nation’s security but also speed up processing significantly.
Although this remains a controversial issue for many, US customs insist the technology is 99% accurate. This concern was heightened when Amazon’s ‘Rekognition’ technology recently matched 28 members of Congress to criminal mugshots.
COMMENTS