CBP Sign

Customs and Border Protection Plans to Expand Use of Facial Recognition in Global Entry Program

The agency says that the privacy risks to travelers will actually be lower with the facial scans, since they will no longer have to offer fingerprint data in order to enter the U.S.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Jan 23, 2020

While Customs and Border Protection has rescinded plans to expand mandatory facial recognition to all travelers entering and exiting the country, the agency is still focused on using the technology for one group of passengers: people enrolled in the Global Entry program.

The program allows “low risk” frequent travelers to bypass CBP officers and head to baggage claim immediately after visiting a Global Entry kiosk. Most of those kiosks scan passports and take fingerprints before allowing users to officially enter the U.S.

Now, according to Nextgov, the agency will offer Global Entry travelers the ability to use facial scans for clearance and eliminate the need for a fingerprint or passport scan. The agency has been piloting the technology since June 2018 and has expanded to several other airports, including three international airports.

In a Monday privacy impact statement, CBP said that the kiosks already have cameras to take photos of travelers that will be upgraded as the facial recognition program grows. Privacy notices will be added to the upgraded machines to inform Global Entry members of the process and the data they are agreeing to submit to the government.

Once the kiosk takes a photo, the image will be matched to a gallery from CBP’s systems containing passport and visa photos as well as Global Entry enrollment photos. From there, the kiosk images will be saved into the Department of Homeland Security’s IDENT biometric database, according to Nextgov’s reporting.

“When comparing photos for a facial recognition match, [the Traveler Verification Service] uses travel document photos as well as recently taken photos to improve accuracy because up to date photos may match better than document photos,” the privacy document states.

CBP claims that facial recognition usage will lower the privacy risks to travelers because the program already took photos at the kiosks and will no longer need fingerprint data to work.

A spokesperson told Nextgov that if there are technical issues with the facial recognition program, the kiosk will default to asking passengers for their passports and to conduct a fingerprint scan.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.