US Border Agents Are Asking for Help Taking Photos of Everyone Entering the Country by Car
1 min read
Summary
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has asked tech companies to send proposals for a real-time facial recognition tool that can take photos of all passengers in a vehicle at a border crossing and check them against travel documents.
The tool would analyse images of people in the front and back seats of vehicles, and CBP is seeking a commercial partner to help develop the technology.
CBP already uses facial recognition tools at air, sea and land crossings and is testing ways to extend the use of biometrics to passengers in vehicles.
Critics say the existing technology frequently fails to recognise passengers in vehicles, especially in the back seats, and it is not clear how the technology deals with issues such as racial or gender disparities.
The request for information comes after revelations that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is paying $30m to software company Palantir to build a platform for tracking people who are self-deporting from the US.
