Passports are more than just ways to prove identity – they’re books full of colorful stamps and memorie
s from different borders around the world. But no matter how sentimental they are, they may soon be replaced by facial recognition.
Based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA), about 45% of passengers are getting ready to abandon their passports for biometric identification when traveling.
Switching to Facial Recognition
Many airlines and airports are already beginning to set up the groundwork to make this happen. The goal is to have passengers go from the drop-off section of the airport to their gate, without ever having to use their passports or paper boarding pass.
The way they would be identified is through their digital identity or “single biometric token.” In other words, a facial recognition scan.
Numerous other biometric identification systems are going to enter our lives in the near future. These include palm scans, fingerprints, iris scans, and facial scans. Some systems can also identify you based on your heartbeat, smell, voice, and stride.
Beginning the Change
Reports state that 59% of airports around the world are planning to introduce self-boarding gates that will work using combinations of travel documents and biometric ID. 47% of airports, on the other hand, plan to switch to single biometric token ID in all airport checkpoints by the year 2021.
One of the biggest challenges when using facial recognition for travel is getting it to work around the world with all airports and airlines. Governments will have to agree on terms for sharing biometric data.
Even though things in technology are changing fast, don’t throw out your passport just yet. Even if you choose to use biometric identification, you will still be required to use your passport for international flights and your government-issued ID for domestic flights. These items are needed to confirm your biometric identity and if the machines fail.