Global Entry 2.0 - Facial Recognition
Jan 8, 2023, 1:55 am
#331
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Colorado (anywhere between DEN DMM BAH)
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As convenient as it is to do pre clearance and land in the US without the hassle of going through immigration and customs there, I actually had more of a rough time because officers tended to ask more customs questions when abroad compared to when going through it at a U.S. airport. So in general I much prefer to do GE at a U.S. airport.
Jan 8, 2023, 8:14 am
#332
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Feb 27, 2023, 8:27 am
#333
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
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My understanding is that similar to a customs arrival at an airport within the US, it allows the officer to ensure they are able to divert the bag for secondary inspection if they want to, before it goes onward to the airline to be loaded on the aircraft.
Beyond that, usually at YYZ they asked me essentially nothing. YUL, always 1-3 questions (and the one time that I got in a very brief debate with a customs officer on whether not chewing gum constituted food for the purposes of a customs declaration... only to declare gum in the future when asked on food to receive a stare of disbelief of how moronic I was for mentioning it by CBP officers in the future.)
Feb 28, 2023, 6:05 am
#334
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
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So maybe bad form to reply one post after the other, but it is about a different (but related) experience, but this week was my first opportunity to use Global Entry since late 2017 (job switched to domestic customers, then COVID), and thus my first opportunity to use GE 2.0.
I have a rather strong eyeglasses prescription. Eyeglasses usually throw off facial recognition by size, and the strength of the prescription usually throws off iris scanning (like the NEXUS kiosks). At SIN this was obvious because the ABC gates weren't working on the way out until I remembered to remove my glasses and then they opened immediately.
When I landed at JFK T4, old GE machines, updated software - get in outline and take photo. Screen told me to take off my glasses, I did. Take photo, it took about 10-15 seconds after to spit out a normal receipt, no questions asked.
What makes that more interesting to me (personally at least) is:
I have a rather strong eyeglasses prescription. Eyeglasses usually throw off facial recognition by size, and the strength of the prescription usually throws off iris scanning (like the NEXUS kiosks). At SIN this was obvious because the ABC gates weren't working on the way out until I remembered to remove my glasses and then they opened immediately.
When I landed at JFK T4, old GE machines, updated software - get in outline and take photo. Screen told me to take off my glasses, I did. Take photo, it took about 10-15 seconds after to spit out a normal receipt, no questions asked.
What makes that more interesting to me (personally at least) is:
- My photo for GE (or NEXUS, but same database) is from 2016 taken on a very old webcam by CBP in YUL and it has my glasses. Based on facial recognition issues with glasses, and that my GE card photo had them and the kiosk photo didn't, I would have to believe that the photo comparison was to another database. The obvious database that would come to mind is the US Passport database (and passport photos have prohibited glasses for years unless a doctor writes a letter stating wearing them for the photo is medically necessary.)
- #1 becomes more interesting because I am an identical twin, and both of us currently possess valid passports. So seemingly, the facial recognition is strong enough to disambiguate the two of us with confidence. One might say "but they can compare on the basis of a person being a GE/NEXUS member", but I'd imagine the comparison would be wider to rule out impersonation. Otherwise, hypothetically, a twin without trusted traveler status (like my brother) could use a GE kiosk under the sibling's name. Or, if we both had trusted traveler status (not the case here), it would require further disambiguation.
Feb 28, 2023, 7:58 am
#335
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So maybe bad form to reply one post after the other, but it is about a different (but related) experience, but this week was my first opportunity to use Global Entry since late 2017 (job switched to domestic customers, then COVID), and thus my first opportunity to use GE 2.0.
I have a rather strong eyeglasses prescription. Eyeglasses usually throw off facial recognition by size, and the strength of the prescription usually throws off iris scanning (like the NEXUS kiosks). At SIN this was obvious because the ABC gates weren't working on the way out until I remembered to remove my glasses and then they opened immediately.
When I landed at JFK T4, old GE machines, updated software - get in outline and take photo. Screen told me to take off my glasses, I did. Take photo, it took about 10-15 seconds after to spit out a normal receipt, no questions asked.
What makes that more interesting to me (personally at least) is:
I have a rather strong eyeglasses prescription. Eyeglasses usually throw off facial recognition by size, and the strength of the prescription usually throws off iris scanning (like the NEXUS kiosks). At SIN this was obvious because the ABC gates weren't working on the way out until I remembered to remove my glasses and then they opened immediately.
When I landed at JFK T4, old GE machines, updated software - get in outline and take photo. Screen told me to take off my glasses, I did. Take photo, it took about 10-15 seconds after to spit out a normal receipt, no questions asked.
What makes that more interesting to me (personally at least) is:
- My photo for GE (or NEXUS, but same database) is from 2016 taken on a very old webcam by CBP in YUL and it has my glasses. Based on facial recognition issues with glasses, and that my GE card photo had them and the kiosk photo didn't, I would have to believe that the photo comparison was to another database. The obvious database that would come to mind is the US Passport database (and passport photos have prohibited glasses for years unless a doctor writes a letter stating wearing them for the photo is medically necessary.)
- #1 becomes more interesting because I am an identical twin, and both of us currently possess valid passports. So seemingly, the facial recognition is strong enough to disambiguate the two of us with confidence. One might say "but they can compare on the basis of a person being a GE/NEXUS member", but I'd imagine the comparison would be wider to rule out impersonation. Otherwise, hypothetically, a twin without trusted traveler status (like my brother) could use a GE kiosk under the sibling's name. Or, if we both had trusted traveler status (not the case here), it would require further disambiguation.
Feb 28, 2023, 8:31 am
#336
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
Are you and your monozygotic twin both GE members with currently valid US passports? Have you both flown back into the US on the same flight while both being eligible to use GE 2.0? As monozygotic twins age, the accuracy of FRT to distinguish between monozygotic twins is probably higher than when the monozygotic twins were younger.
While the two could be used to make an inference that it is me and not him, any scenario which narrows the scope of FRT based on membership or traveling status would be prone to abuse. Let's say, hypothetically, that my brother took my passport without my knowledge, and bought a ticket with my name. IRIS scanning at the NEXUS kiosks or fingerprint recognition at GE kiosks pre-2.0 rollout would definitively not be a match to me.
To reduce impersonation risk, I would imagine (read: I don't know as a definitive fact) that GE 2.0 is comparing to all photos, and not just assuming a match within the dataset of GE members. Google Photos has trouble telling us apart sometimes, but GE has the advantage of comparing a dead-on straight photo within an outline of a specific size and controlled lighting, versus Google having to deal with photos taken at a variety of distances, angles, and lighting conditions.
The only true litmus test would be to have both of us enrolled, both return to the US on the same international itinerary, and see what the machine does. But he's not a big traveler so it isn't worth the time/effort/money to try to see if the GE 2.0 machines can truly distinguish us on face alone.
Mar 1, 2023, 10:46 am
#337
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 852
As stated in my prior post - I am a GE member (via NEXUS), he is not. I did not mention if we were on the same itinerary - he was not.
While the two could be used to make an inference that it is me and not him, any scenario which narrows the scope of FRT based on membership or traveling status would be prone to abuse. Let's say, hypothetically, that my brother took my passport without my knowledge, and bought a ticket with my name. IRIS scanning at the NEXUS kiosks or fingerprint recognition at GE kiosks pre-2.0 rollout would definitively not be a match to me.
To reduce impersonation risk, I would imagine (read: I don't know as a definitive fact) that GE 2.0 is comparing to all photos, and not just assuming a match within the dataset of GE members. Google Photos has trouble telling us apart sometimes, but GE has the advantage of comparing a dead-on straight photo within an outline of a specific size and controlled lighting, versus Google having to deal with photos taken at a variety of distances, angles, and lighting conditions.
The only true litmus test would be to have both of us enrolled, both return to the US on the same international itinerary, and see what the machine does. But he's not a big traveler so it isn't worth the time/effort/money to try to see if the GE 2.0 machines can truly distinguish us on face alone.
While the two could be used to make an inference that it is me and not him, any scenario which narrows the scope of FRT based on membership or traveling status would be prone to abuse. Let's say, hypothetically, that my brother took my passport without my knowledge, and bought a ticket with my name. IRIS scanning at the NEXUS kiosks or fingerprint recognition at GE kiosks pre-2.0 rollout would definitively not be a match to me.
To reduce impersonation risk, I would imagine (read: I don't know as a definitive fact) that GE 2.0 is comparing to all photos, and not just assuming a match within the dataset of GE members. Google Photos has trouble telling us apart sometimes, but GE has the advantage of comparing a dead-on straight photo within an outline of a specific size and controlled lighting, versus Google having to deal with photos taken at a variety of distances, angles, and lighting conditions.
The only true litmus test would be to have both of us enrolled, both return to the US on the same international itinerary, and see what the machine does. But he's not a big traveler so it isn't worth the time/effort/money to try to see if the GE 2.0 machines can truly distinguish us on face alone.
Mar 1, 2023, 11:46 pm
#338
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
The subset of photos that the database searches whenever a person steps up to a GE kiosk at an airport is far smaller than most people may think. This is spelled out in more detail in the Biometric Entry analyses that CBP has published. The photo on your is only one of multiple photos that CBP may have of you. Passport photos as you mentioned, visa photos, permanent resident cards etc are other subsets they may have. The major thing is that the database does not search all 100 million people who have US passports every time someone steps up to the kiosks. They know exactly who is expected to be coming on certain flights that day based on Advanced Passenger Information System data sent by the airline, which usually includes the exact match of the passport number. From that they can pre-stage say 300-500 photos for passengers expected from each flight, with matching names.
Yes, CBP may have multiple photos of me. As a US citizen enrolled in GE, that dataset (to my knowledge) would be limited to my passport photo (good for biometrics), my GE photo (objectively garbage and glasses throwing off for biometrics), and my state does not share DMV photos with CBP. Maybe there is another set of photos that I don't know are shared with CBP/feds that could be feeding it.
I have seen other users in this thread describe the process of getting a receipt as taking as little as 2-3 seconds. Mine took about 15 seconds. That could be chalked up to local IT, machines, network connectivity, and a dozen other things innocuously. I was (and remain) curious if that may have to do with additional validation.
Again, I'm not doubting what you said, but any indication that this applies to GE would be welcome.This article mentions exit customs pilots being tried against limited datasets of expected departures, there's nothing mentioning about what GE compares. The comments in that article were very oriented around exit screening, which is on an airline pilot basis at this point, and thus reliability has to be paramount to get airlines to participate. If GE kiosks are down, we can all effectively pound sand, we're all in by choice.
Mar 2, 2023, 5:35 am
#339
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It's principally the passport photos and GE photos used for the checks when coming in via GE 2.0, and GE 2.0 speeds up things considerably for electronic matching than what was the case under the older software and related processing. [You can make of the the processing speeds under GE 2.0 what you want with what that would mean in terms of computer process intensity hitting the system architecture (and process design) if trying to do live checks against the photos in all valid passports out there.]
The captured facial image used by CBP is a higher quality than that which is visible when looking at the printed photos on the GE card and passports with the unaided eye.
The captured facial image used by CBP is a higher quality than that which is visible when looking at the printed photos on the GE card and passports with the unaided eye.
Mar 2, 2023, 5:08 pm
#340
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: UA Platinum, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 204
Curious has anyone submitted a complaint to CBP about the lines forming to see an officer after having picture taken at the kiosk? Would like to know their view on the situation given it’s marketed as “no processing line”…
I appreciate it doesn’t seem to be happening everywhere, but for the past few experiences at IAH there has been an almighty line of people waiting to get through GE (post kiosk).
in my view this is a real devaluation of the program now that there is time to see an officer - on one occasion in December the people at non GE desks were getting through quicker. Makes zero sense to me and I can’t see why I need to see an officer at all (unless I have something to declare)
I appreciate it doesn’t seem to be happening everywhere, but for the past few experiences at IAH there has been an almighty line of people waiting to get through GE (post kiosk).
in my view this is a real devaluation of the program now that there is time to see an officer - on one occasion in December the people at non GE desks were getting through quicker. Makes zero sense to me and I can’t see why I need to see an officer at all (unless I have something to declare)
Mar 2, 2023, 7:16 pm
#341
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I'd be interested if you had any links to the Biometric Entry analyses that CBP has published per your post. I'm a techie and love a good read on risk analysis, benefit cases, etc...
Yes, CBP may have multiple photos of me. As a US citizen enrolled in GE, that dataset (to my knowledge) would be limited to my passport photo (good for biometrics), my GE photo (objectively garbage and glasses throwing off for biometrics), and my state does not share DMV photos with CBP. Maybe there is another set of photos that I don't know are shared with CBP/feds that could be feeding it.
I have seen other users in this thread describe the process of getting a receipt as taking as little as 2-3 seconds. Mine took about 15 seconds. That could be chalked up to local IT, machines, network connectivity, and a dozen other things innocuously. I was (and remain) curious if that may have to do with additional validation.
Again, I'm not doubting what you said, but any indication that this applies to GE would be welcome.This article mentions exit customs pilots being tried against limited datasets of expected departures, there's nothing mentioning about what GE compares. The comments in that article were very oriented around exit screening, which is on an airline pilot basis at this point, and thus reliability has to be paramount to get airlines to participate. If GE kiosks are down, we can all effectively pound sand, we're all in by choice.
Yes, CBP may have multiple photos of me. As a US citizen enrolled in GE, that dataset (to my knowledge) would be limited to my passport photo (good for biometrics), my GE photo (objectively garbage and glasses throwing off for biometrics), and my state does not share DMV photos with CBP. Maybe there is another set of photos that I don't know are shared with CBP/feds that could be feeding it.
I have seen other users in this thread describe the process of getting a receipt as taking as little as 2-3 seconds. Mine took about 15 seconds. That could be chalked up to local IT, machines, network connectivity, and a dozen other things innocuously. I was (and remain) curious if that may have to do with additional validation.
Again, I'm not doubting what you said, but any indication that this applies to GE would be welcome.This article mentions exit customs pilots being tried against limited datasets of expected departures, there's nothing mentioning about what GE compares. The comments in that article were very oriented around exit screening, which is on an airline pilot basis at this point, and thus reliability has to be paramount to get airlines to participate. If GE kiosks are down, we can all effectively pound sand, we're all in by choice.
Mar 4, 2023, 5:12 am
#342
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Curious has anyone submitted a complaint to CBP about the lines forming to see an officer after having picture taken at the kiosk? Would like to know their view on the situation given it’s marketed as “no processing line”…
I appreciate it doesn’t seem to be happening everywhere, but for the past few experiences at IAH there has been an almighty line of people waiting to get through GE (post kiosk).
in my view this is a real devaluation of the program now that there is time to see an officer - on one occasion in December the people at non GE desks were getting through quicker. Makes zero sense to me and I can’t see why I need to see an officer at all (unless I have something to declare)
I appreciate it doesn’t seem to be happening everywhere, but for the past few experiences at IAH there has been an almighty line of people waiting to get through GE (post kiosk).
in my view this is a real devaluation of the program now that there is time to see an officer - on one occasion in December the people at non GE desks were getting through quicker. Makes zero sense to me and I can’t see why I need to see an officer at all (unless I have something to declare)
Mar 4, 2023, 9:43 am
#343
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 557
Went through this at ORD a few weeks ago - no paper, no fingerprints, no passport scan. As quickly as I could look at the camera, the agent nearby called my name out and handed me a card that said "MOBILE PASSPORT A".
The real issue was the line to get OUT of the baggage area, which no longer has a separate exit for GE, so I was behind roughly 70 people with giant carts of what I assume are all their worldly possessions, and a (single) CBP guy was interrogating every one of them, so I waited almost 20 minutes to actually exit. He didn't ask me anything when I handed him the card. I guess if I had something to declare I should've proactively done it with him, but at no point was I asked to declare anything.
The real issue was the line to get OUT of the baggage area, which no longer has a separate exit for GE, so I was behind roughly 70 people with giant carts of what I assume are all their worldly possessions, and a (single) CBP guy was interrogating every one of them, so I waited almost 20 minutes to actually exit. He didn't ask me anything when I handed him the card. I guess if I had something to declare I should've proactively done it with him, but at no point was I asked to declare anything.
Mar 6, 2023, 12:16 pm
#344
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
Thank you for this. Quoting this document for what you put as the Google Prompt:
In turn for ATS, this document:
I don't see a contradiction to what was specified earlier that I believed that GE was pulling from other data sources. The GE Privacy Impact assessment points towards pulling data from TVS, TVS points towards pulling data from multiple data sources where a subject that was not the person intended to be photographed (e.g. APIS says DOE/JOHNSMITH is arriving to the US) may be compared against other record sources, including photographs from US passports, and then presented to the officer to review for potential discrepancy.
If I missed something, let me know, but the facial recognition by customs for GE seems to eclipse all record sources for the GE member as a basis of comparison.
Originally Posted by CBP
CBP creates photographic galleries (organized by airport and terminal) using the Advance
Passenger Information System (APIS)12 manifest for incoming flights during a brief, defined
period of time, which is generally only a certain portion of the day. To populate the localized
galleries with photographs, the TVS13 compiles pre-existing photographs already maintained in
the Automated Targeting System (ATS)14 Unified Passenger Module (UPAX) system. CBP may
have captured these images from U.S. passports or visas, previous entry inspections, and/or other
DHS encounters, including Global Entry enrollment photos.
15 The TVS then generates a biometric
template16 for each gallery photograph and stores the template, but not the actual photograph, in
the TVS cloud for matching when the traveler arrives at the Global Entry kiosk.
Passenger Information System (APIS)12 manifest for incoming flights during a brief, defined
period of time, which is generally only a certain portion of the day. To populate the localized
galleries with photographs, the TVS13 compiles pre-existing photographs already maintained in
the Automated Targeting System (ATS)14 Unified Passenger Module (UPAX) system. CBP may
have captured these images from U.S. passports or visas, previous entry inspections, and/or other
DHS encounters, including Global Entry enrollment photos.
15 The TVS then generates a biometric
template16 for each gallery photograph and stores the template, but not the actual photograph, in
the TVS cloud for matching when the traveler arrives at the Global Entry kiosk.
Originally Posted by DHS
Pointer System: ATS accesses and uses additional databases without ingesting the data,
including: CBP’s ADIS, Border Patrol Enforcement Tracking System (BPETS),
Enterprise Geospatial Information Services (eGIS), e3 Biometrics System, and U.S.
and Non-U.S. Passport Service through TECS; ICE’s Enforcement Integrated Database
(EID); DHS Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT); USCIS’s Person
Centric Query System (PCQS); DOS CCD; commercial data aggregators; Nlets (not an
acronym), DOJ’s NCIC and the results of queries in the FBI’s III; Interpol; the National
Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB’s) private database of stolen vehicles.
Under the biometric vetting using facial recognition initiative, CBP will use the TVS
technology to match photographs already accessible from existing ATS holdings and ATS
interfaces and mirror the existing biographic vetting process. The types of photographs already
accessible from existing holdings are photographs captured by CBP during previous entry
inspections, photographs from U.S. passports and U.S. visas, immigration records, and
photographs from prior DHS apprehensions and encounters.19 As ATS performs its existing
vetting and analysis process using biographic identifiers, it will also match those available
photographs against available photographs associated with derogatory records, such as TECS
lookout records, Terrorist Screening Data Base (TSDB) records, and outstanding wants and
warrants. CBP is not matching the facial images already accessible from existing ATS holdings
and ATS interfaces against any state Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) photographs. In
instances in which biographic identifiers alone do not match to derogatory records but there is a
match to derogatory photographs, CBP will conduct a manual review of the identified match to
confirm whether the derogatory record is a true match to the individual based on the facial
recognition technology. As part of the manual review, that individual then may be a subject of
interest and the information will be stored in ATS as a Targeting Framework (ATS-TF) “event”
for manual Officer review.
including: CBP’s ADIS, Border Patrol Enforcement Tracking System (BPETS),
Enterprise Geospatial Information Services (eGIS), e3 Biometrics System, and U.S.
and Non-U.S. Passport Service through TECS; ICE’s Enforcement Integrated Database
(EID); DHS Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT); USCIS’s Person
Centric Query System (PCQS); DOS CCD; commercial data aggregators; Nlets (not an
acronym), DOJ’s NCIC and the results of queries in the FBI’s III; Interpol; the National
Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB’s) private database of stolen vehicles.
Under the biometric vetting using facial recognition initiative, CBP will use the TVS
technology to match photographs already accessible from existing ATS holdings and ATS
interfaces and mirror the existing biographic vetting process. The types of photographs already
accessible from existing holdings are photographs captured by CBP during previous entry
inspections, photographs from U.S. passports and U.S. visas, immigration records, and
photographs from prior DHS apprehensions and encounters.19 As ATS performs its existing
vetting and analysis process using biographic identifiers, it will also match those available
photographs against available photographs associated with derogatory records, such as TECS
lookout records, Terrorist Screening Data Base (TSDB) records, and outstanding wants and
warrants. CBP is not matching the facial images already accessible from existing ATS holdings
and ATS interfaces against any state Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) photographs. In
instances in which biographic identifiers alone do not match to derogatory records but there is a
match to derogatory photographs, CBP will conduct a manual review of the identified match to
confirm whether the derogatory record is a true match to the individual based on the facial
recognition technology. As part of the manual review, that individual then may be a subject of
interest and the information will be stored in ATS as a Targeting Framework (ATS-TF) “event”
for manual Officer review.
If I missed something, let me know, but the facial recognition by customs for GE seems to eclipse all record sources for the GE member as a basis of comparison.
Mar 6, 2023, 1:48 pm
#345
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
JFK T8.
The kiosk has a screen and a place to scan a passport, however, there are no instructions. While I was reaching for my passport, I saw my (blurry) image on the screen followed by a message to proceed. There was a separate exit lane from the Global Entry kiosks area. The CBP officer asked to see my passport, quickly leafed through it, asked me if I had anything to declare and welcomed me home.
The kiosk has a screen and a place to scan a passport, however, there are no instructions. While I was reaching for my passport, I saw my (blurry) image on the screen followed by a message to proceed. There was a separate exit lane from the Global Entry kiosks area. The CBP officer asked to see my passport, quickly leafed through it, asked me if I had anything to declare and welcomed me home.