GUWonder

Iris scans for this have been in the pilot phase for this even before 2017.

FlyingHoustonian

What about the BOSS program? Any recent updates on that? It has been 3-4 years since it was announced.

guflyer

From the documents that I have been able to access, it appears that iris scans were part of the pilot for the land crossing before. I am not finding anything describing iris scans at the airport as part of the pilot. The documents also seem to indicate that the airport part of the pilot program was supposed to end no later than September of 2016.

Section 107

Pilot/field testing is ongoing. Keep in mind that whenever the term biometric is used it means iris (or finger or face or any combination of the three). At least one airport is scheduled to implement in 2018 (which one depends on which one is first to accommodate the space reconfiguration and other requirements needed by CBP). My guess is it will be implemented at as many as 5 by the end of 2019.

GUWonder

If/whenever this gets fully implemented nationwide, watch the cost for travel increase even further. The government will end up making passengers pay for this additional expense too.

Those mileage tickets using your frequent flyer miles/points are going to become more expensive because of this, as the amount of taxes/fees the government will charge will rise under cover of this being a sort of user fee too.

:D!

That's because a HK driving licence must always be paired with an HKID since the licence itself has no photo. Interestingly, you can progress from learner to full licence in HK without ever showing the Transport Department your real HKID, just a photocopy, (although you do need to have the real one on you anyway...)

Security checks may be required but if these are effective then there is no need for ID checks. ID checks are only necessary for enforcing immigration restrictions or restrictions on travel such as being a wanted criminal suspect.

I find that the e-gates are faster in the UK once you are used to using them. They are only slower compared to human officers because over 50% of people are slow at using them and so if there is a long queue of people it moves slowly. About 80% of the time the queue for each gate will have 0 to 2 people in it and that gets me through faster than going to a human.

I've never seen 3 officers on "standby" for people rejected by the e-gates - maximum 2, usually 1 (but if only 1, then there is usually someone else working the e-gates manually, by which I mean they review the semi-rejects on their screen)

TWA884

Several recent posts discussing at gate ID checks which did not involve collection of biometric data were moved to the following thread:
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Section 107

a little delayed in responding this post but there is no doubt; the congressional direction specifically calls for a fee to be charged to recover $1,000M over 10 years.

GUWonder

When Congress is trying to shove expensive stuff upon Americans via the budge "reconciliation" procedure, the legislation isn't allowed to increase the federal deficit after a period of 10 years. Having physical exit controls at all US airports would cost way more than $1,000,000,000 over ten years. And they'll make Americans and others to pay for it somehow when we are flying out of the US, assuming this fortress America mentality gets more thoroughly implemented.

wco81

It would be an expansion of a 2004 law meant to collect biometric data on foreign visitors.

So legality may be doubtful.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...leave-country/

They are doing the scanning already at 6 airports as pilot programs.

But law enforcement agencies have already been collecting biometric data on Americans, with as many as half of all Americans already in databases storing biometric data.

petaluma1

Taken directly from state motor vehicle records.

RadioGirl

With perhaps some rare exceptions that someone will bring up shortly, "Americans who travel internationally" have passports. With passport photos. Copies of which are almost certainly maintained by DHS or one of its associated agencies.

So DHS already has photos of all the Americans who travel internationally.

FliesWay2Much

All I have to say is that I would offer the government is a scan of a body part other than my face along with some humble suggestions about where, in their own bodies, they might insert a printed copy.

chollie

I'd be willing to let the government scan the body parts that TSA has mishandled the most.

bpe

Airports and all sorts of other places already have surveillance cameras at security checkpoints and secure gate areas anyways, and of course at customs/immigration where all international air travelers pass through.

Depending on how it's implemented it could be nothing more than higher resolution cameras in existing secure areas and the only big change is how and for how long the data is stored.