The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed to amend rules to expand the use of facial recognition systems to improve the process of verifying the identity of foreign visitors arriving and departing from airports, sea ports and land ports.
A notice of proposed rulemaking published Thursday in Federal Register says current regulations limit CBP’s capacity to perform biometric exit pilot programs to 15 airports and maritime ports and the proposed rule change will allow the agency to broaden the collection of biometrics from foreign travelers departing from those sites.
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) CBP plans to initially implement the proposed entry-exit process using facial recognition at commercial airports and collect photographs from all foreign travelers regardless of their age.
“Full implementation at for land and sea ports of entry will follow after CBP has tested and refined its biometric exit strategies in those environments,” the notice reads.
Comments on the proposed rule change are due Dec. 21.
