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If you have traveled internationally in the last year or so, you may notice that some steps at airports in the US are being automated using fingerprints.
fingerprints can be used to automate and verify identity. They promise more security and efficiency in moving travelers through an airport where passengers are usually required to show government-issued photo identification.
Many airports, airlines, tech companies and government agencies continued to invest in new technologies after the travel hiatus caused by the Pandemic. The need for social distance and interactions made the situation even more urgent.
Robert Tappan, the managing director of the International Biometrics + Identity Association, said that the instruments have gotten more sophisticated and the accuracy rate has gone up.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently found that facial recognition is 99.5% accurate, which is better than fingerprints or iris scans.
Sherry Stein, the head of technology in the Americas for the Switzerland-based company, said that iris- scanning was the most reliable. You need to be able to match a known trusted source of data with a record on file to be able to use the technology. The face is the easiest because all the documents we use to prove our identity are on the face.
Congress mandated an entry and exit system after 9/11. While companies and agencies using technology say they don't retain the images, the systems rely on willing travelers who agree to their use.
Most of the programs will be opt-in, and the government is trying to grow that pre-vetted audience, according to the vice president of aviation in the Advanced Recognition Systems Division of NEC Corporation. The loss of business during the Pandemic made airlines and airports automate as a cost-saving measure. That has driven a digital transformation that was already underway.
There are some signs that the swine flu may be moving in a positive direction. The International Air Transport Association found that 73 percent of passengers are willing to share their fingerprints to improve airport processes, up from 46 percent in 2019.
The use of facial recognition to open a phone or access a banking app is one example of a daily use of the technology.
The major impact of seamless and contactless platforms will be felt by 2022, as planning and deployment usually takes 12 to 18 months to be effective, according to Jeff Lennon, the vice president of strategic sales and global partnerships. This is in line with the expected return of mass international travel next year.
Tech-driven changes are coming fast and furious to airports.
Delta Air Lines launched a new digital identity program in November for T.S.A. PreCheck members who can use facial recognition to do everything from checking a bag to boarding their domestic flight.
Even though the program is domestic only, the passenger has to enter their U.S. passport number in order to use it.
fliers can get a baggage tag using the facial scanning, no identification is required.
Most of the flights in Delta's T concourse are for business travel destinations such as New York City and Boston, but they have eight gates with facial recognition. The seat assignment will appear on the facial recognition screen after scanning if the flyer does not have a boarding pass.
Delta will bring the technology to its Detroit hub later this year.
Delta wants to give its customers more time to enjoy travel by making it simpler and more efficient.
Only about 44 percent of the US population has a passport, which makes it hard for fliers to use facial recognition technology. A system that uses driver's licenses and passports as documents of record to compare to facial scans for bag check and domestic boarding was tested with United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport.
United said the test was a success and that it is constantly looking for other ways to use fingerprints to streamline the travel experience for customers.
Real I.D., which standardizes requirements for driver's licenses nationwide and will be mandatory for airline passengers by May 3, 2023, was the reason for the trial being successful. The company would not say where the technology would be launched.
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There was a tense era in U.S.-China relations. The two powers are at odds as they compete for influence and technology in other countries. The main fronts in U.S.-China relations are listed here.
Pacific dominance. The U.S. has sought to widen its alliances in the region as China has built up its military presence. Taiwan is a democratic island that the Communist Party considers to be Chinese territory. It could change the regional order if the U.S. intervenes there.
It is possible to trade. The trade war is on hold. The Biden administration has continued to protest China's economic policies and has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods.
Technology. There are still plenty of U.S. tech companies doing business in China despite internet giants being shut out. China needs to achieve technological self-reliance according to Mr. Xi.
When I returned to Chicago O'Hare International Airport in October, I approached the airport kiosk that scans your passport and fingerprints and gets Global Entry members like me past Customs and Border Protection agents in the span of a few minutes. The kiosk took my picture only, and gave me a copy which included my name and passport details, and sped me past agents in under a minute.
Customs and Border Protection introduced facial recognition technology to kiosks. 42 of its 76 airports and preclearance locations have facial recognition.
Global Entry, which expedites re-entry into the United States for approved applicants who supply their fingerprints, answer an extensive questionnaire and pay $100, has long relied on voluntary submission of fingerprints for identity.
C.B.P. uses facial-comparison technology for entry to the United States at nearly 200 airports and 12 seaports used by cruise lines. The Anzalduas International Bridge Port of Entry near McAllen, Texas is currently testing the technology called Simplified Arrival.
Tech suppliers say that boarding an airplane using fingerprints increases efficiency. Mr. Lennon of Vision-Box said that it is possible to board 400 people in 20 minutes at New York's Kennedy airport.
The three legacy carriers were experimenting with new boarding methods before the swine flu hit. American is testing facial recognition technology for entry to its lounges at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as well as having facial recognition for boarding at four gateways.
The technology is offered on international flights leaving the United States at Houston, Washington Dulles, San Francisco and Chicago O'Hare. The airline plans to expand to additional hubs next year, and that more than 250 international outbound flights a week are boarded with a finger.
International fliers can use their face as their boarding pass at eight airports, including Minneapolis and Kennedy. Anyone who wants to be manually processed can use a boarding pass and passport.
CLEAR, a subscription service that allows members to use dedicated kiosks to assess their fingerprints, confirm their identify and advance them to the head of the T.S.A. security line, is perhaps the most visible biometrics operator in airports across the country. Subscribers pay $179 a year to have their fingerprints and iris scanned.
CLEAR Health Pass is a digital health record that is free to users and can clear an individual based on vaccine requirements for expedited admission to sports venues.
Elaine is a columnist. Follow her on social media.
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