If you have flown recently, you might have unknowingly been part of testing of facial recognition technology in many US airports. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is one of several locations testing facial recognition technology in TSA lines.
And while the tech at O’Hare hasn’t replaced the process of presenting an ID and boarding pass to a human reviewer, facial recognition technology is leading us in the direction of touchless security.
In Miami, several gates have already implemented this form of touchless entry, allowing some international passengers to board planes without showing passports or boarding passes.
Behind the scenes, cameras scan people boarding and compare them to a digital profile, which includes passport photos.
While this trend seems like science fiction, it is being embraced by more and more industries, especially in the world of travel.
Carnival Cruise Lines keeps track of passengers as they board or disembark so that the company has a clear picture of exactly who is onboard the ship at any time in case of an emergency.
These expanded uses have also led to many discussions about the dangers to privacy that such technology enables.
There are currently no laws that regulate the protection of the data around images and biometrics that control these systems.
With cyberattacks at an all-time high, it is not that difficult to imagine a breach that allows hackers to steal the data imaging profiles of travelers.
With AI deep fake capabilities also becoming more and more plausible each day, this data may very well become much more valuable especially when it underlies so much of our personal security.
Leave a Reply