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'Failsafe' face scanners could replace passport officers at airports
Last updated at 11:55am on 19.08.08
Facial recognition machines are to be installed at airports to replace passport officers under border control plans announced today.
The machines will scan a travellers' face to compare them with the images on their biometric passports and open an automated gate when a match is registered.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, who unveiled details of the scheme today, claims it will shorten immigration queues and boost border security.
Air passengers who agree to fingerprint and face checks are currently fast-tracked through Heathrow
Critics fear, however, that the technology could generate too many false readings in which passengers with genuine passports are refused automatic entry.
There are also concerns that the replacement of personal inspections by passport officers could reduce the chances of detecting individuals who might otherwise be observed behaving suspiciously.
A trial scheme will begin at Manchester Airport and will be expanded elsewhere in the country if it proves successful.
The facial scanners will be used to check passengers from the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland and are intended to cut the time each traveller needs to clear passport control.
Ministers insist the technology is fail-safe and that when a passenger is refused automatic entry an immigration officer will be on hand to conduct a follow-up check on their status.
Passport control officers could disappear from airports and replaced with machines
Some critics believe the machines will be prone to error because of the inability of facial recognition systems to make perfect matches consistently.
They fear that this could lead to large queues and subject some passengers - such as the elderly - to an unnecessary ordeal each time they try to return to the country.
Ms Smith expressed confidence in the machines, however, and said they could play an important role in strengthening Britain's borders.
'The UK has one of the toughest borders in the world and we are determined to ensure it stays that way,' she said.
'Our hi-tech electronic borders system will allow us to count all foreign nationals in and out of the UK, while checking them against watch lists.
'These checks make up just one part of Britain's triple ring of security, alongside fingerprint visas for three-quarters of the world's population, and the roll out of ID cards for foreign nationals, locking people to one identity.'
Most passengers from outside the EU are now required to obtain a biometric visa, with details of their fingerprints, before travelling to Britain.
Reader views (20)
I flew in from Malaga into Gatwick this evening - there were new machines at the passport control and a pleasant young lady urging folk with machine readable passports to exit via the machines... I thought I'd try it for a laugh but the process sent a chill through me. As you stand on a designated plate the camera rises to match your height and takes its picture and at that moment you're hemmed-in and confronted by the whim of artificial intelligence - if the machine don't like you I expect the floor will open-up and swallow you. It's a madness we have right now - paranoid automation...
- Martin Goodsmith, Canterbury UK
First, are those who criticize government for not doing enough. Then comes the complaints of overly restrictive measures that cause time delays. Then it's Big Brother tactics that infringe on our rights. Followed closely with worthless technology.
While I agree, Ms. Smith over states the capabilities of the system, it does not mean the system shouldn't be used to enhance security. As pointed out by an earlier post, set the thresholds on the system to err on the side of caution. Border entry will still have a queue, but the queue should be shorter. Meanwhile, you're trying to find the best way to address better security with less delay.
Governments have always collected data on their citizens for a host of reasons, so I don't see this as some leap towards Big Brother. We all have to be willing to live with some compromises to promote better security/safety. The key word is better...not perfect. Ms. Smith could certainly use a better public relations department. Grin
- Joe, US
New recruited terrorists have a blank record and good passport. These scanners will not detect if they are sweating and up to something
El Al has still the best security. personal interrogation with someone who really cares to do the job right.
- Ann, San Francisco
Gee, what a great cost saving idea. As long as his passport and iris match, the terrorist who is not on the watch list can come in and would not be inconvenienced or even slowed down. Hello? Passport control does more than just stamp passports. Can you say "First Line of Defense".
- Himself, Spokane, WA
When has any policy introduced by new labour actually worked?
They have reclassified all 60 million citizens as the "Terrorists". Jacqui Smith is the greatest Terrorist - of our Civil Rights.
It's time to make civil rights an election issue.
- Uksecretcourts, London
Failsafe- ridiculous. Nothing is failsafe. Perhaps Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has been smoking crack? Drinking the Koolaid? Remarkably idiotic stance to take. Politically, she is hamstrung between the overblown assurances and fatuous claims of the manufacturers, the tightly wound expectations and self-preserving instincts of the Crown, MI6, Interpol, and so on, and, the tremendous public frustration from being treated like criminals whenever they travel. The one thing we do know about biometrics is that they do fail, and can be made to fail with little effort. Good luck to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
- Rob, Maine
Passport control officers definitely could and should be replaced at Hong Kong Airport.
- Bill Henderson, Hagatna, Guam
So every time someone has facial cosmetic surgery they'll have to renew their passport picture.
- Tony Islander, Denham
This has to be England. This big brother stuff may be fine with Europeans who trust their police and governments not to go berserk with privacy invasion. Europeans are basically more responsible and humanistic people than North Americans so it is a different story. I hope we are kept from entering into this slippery slope. An insidious and silent "Minority Report" would for sure become the reality in North America, with the security "entitlement" mindset of the CIA, CSIS, FBI and CSIS. I don't hold out much hope though. Say hello to eventual mass mind control.
- Ross Macdonald, Winnipeg,Canada
Who is the vendor? I am sure this language of fail-safe is a sure sale. When they say it 'may' shorten queues I am more reassured. Did not some politician say 'I have no reverse gear'. I wish my bosses had such short memories. This article is just spin. Does Ms Smith guarantee this fail-safe method with her job? What if a person has glasses, eye lashes or contacts?
- Chris, Toronto canada
More big brother! I am not a number! I am a free man!
- Jon G., Lockport, NY
Quote Britains triple ring of security?
What have they been smoking? So many media stories about illegal entrants to 'Festung Britannia'. All you have to do is stow away on a vehicle in France and you end up in the UK. The police then just wave you on your way and hope you turn up at Loony house in Croydon. If you don't oh dear how sad. Just how can you describe that shambolic system as a ring of security? Nu Liebour spin gone mad!
Triple ring of tissue paper more like..the colgate ring of confidence has more substance!
In fact the only security deployed at airports (Mon Fri 9 through 5 no doubt) is to inconvenience and annoy legitimate visitors. Especially when BAA lose their luggage. Meanwhile inside the Festung, Nu Labour databases record our DNA, daily bowel movements and EMails etc all in the name of the war on tourism err that'll be turrism y'all!
Just when did the idiots take over running this country?
- Ethan, uk
Facial biometrics are 'failsafe'? Good grief, Wacky Jacqui. Fingerprints are iffy, irises are pretty good. Faces aren't currently good enough on their own. Depending on where they set the threshold, they'll either falsely reject too many people or falsely accept too many dodgy passport holders.
Hopefully the trial will be big enough to show this. Don't bet on it though.
- Far, London
Exactly how does this prevent crime? Are we considered so stupid that we will believe this system will prevent terrorism, given that terrorism is carried out by the state?
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE .
Certainly an impressive piece of technology, it's obviously incredibly secure which is why it's used by big business everywhere to stop people breaking into their networks and stealing details, NOT.
- Scott Ian, London
Does anyone else see a major disaster in the making?
- R M, London, UK
Recipe for disaster: Take one untried and untested piece of kit and withdraw the human element that provides any element of common sense or problem solving ability. No wonder they're only using it on passengers from Switzerland and Iceland - little chance of terrorists from either country. Perhaps it only does blue eyes.
- Squiz, Islington
'The UK has one of the toughest borders in the world and we are determined to ensure it stays that way,' says Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. Does she actually live in Britain or commute in from Switzerland? Take a walk round London if you dare Ms Smith. Anyone who wants to just waltzes in, and if they have no passport so much the better for them - no chance of being chucked out. Our borders are more porous than Labour's promises to do something about immigration.
- Squiz, Islington
This is a great idea: immigration officers are no better than machines. Plus you wont get the same attitude from a machine as you do from a group of poorly educated, low grade public servants - who until recently presented a scruffy, amateurish image of the UK dressed in their own clothes.
- Josh, london
"I have nothing to hide so I have nothing to fear". I'll be ok then, no probs.
You daft wallies as you sleep walk into the socialist totalitarian state control.
- Ayliff A Mcnab, Orihuela Costa, Alicante, Spain
