Customer Experience

US airports replace self-serve passport kiosks with facial recognition screening

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October 6, 2022

Travelers entering the U.S. are finding the self-serve passport kiosks have been replaced by facial recognition cameras attended by customs officers, according to a report in The New York Times.

More than 80% of travelers entering the U.S. are currently verified by facial recognition.

In April, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reached its goal of installing cameras next to customs officers in every U.S. international airport to verify incoming travelers by face, along with a tool to spot foreign nationals without proper visas as they depart the country.

The self-serve passport kiosks were phased out since they did not verify faces.

Facial-recognition software will improve security and efficiency at ports of entry, officials claim, although privacy advocates claim they pose threats to privacy.

The kiosks, introduced in 2013, scanned passports and accepted customs declarations. They also allowed non-U.S. citizens from certain countries to provide fingerprints.