New facial biometric test at U.S. Peace Bridge border crossing

A facial biometric test has been implemented at the Peace Bridge border crossing for travellers heading into the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Thursday that officials have implemented the “innovative” technology in three lanes at the Buffalo, N.Y. crossing which are marked “biometric.”

“As travelers approach the vehicle lanes, the camera will attempt to take a photo of each occupant in the vehicle and match it to photos of those travelers already in government holdings, such as passport, visa, or prior encounters, to verify identity,” the release said.

All other lanes will still have the usual manual checks for identity verification, officials said, and those who wish to opt out of the biometric test can use a lane not designated as such.

The facial biometric test will remain in place until March, at which point officials will evaluate the system’s effectiveness and look at “future biometric enhancements for vehicle entry processing.”

CBP has tested the technology at border crossings in Texas and Arizona. At the Peace Bridge, officials will analyze how effective it is in winter conditions.

“This test in in accordance with CBP’s congressional mandate to biometrically record all foreign nationals who enter and exit the United States,” the release said.

“The addition of facial biometrics to verify an individual’s identity will strengthen security by providing CBP officers greater assurance to make an informed decision about a traveler’s admissibility, while preventing impostors from using a genuine travel document that does not belong to them.”

Travellers who use the biometric lanes don’t need to do anything different and so officials said they anticipate “minimal” impact to traffic flow.

The CBP said U.S. citizens who have their images captured with the new technology will have their photos deleted within 12 hours.

“Consistent with regulatory requirements, photos of foreign nationals who are required to provide biometrics are securely transferred and stored in the Department of Homeland Security’s Automated Biometric Identification System,” the CBP said.

Most Canadian citizens are exempt from biometric requirements at the U.S. border, according to the Canadian government website.