Authorities in Hong Kong are preparing to roll out biometric border security measures at the territory’s airports, reports Today.
To begin with, it won’t be the kind of fully-fledged biometric ABC system that is emerging at some airports around the world, but the new effort represents a strong step in that direction. The plan is to use facial recognition to identify individuals departing the country, so long as they have compatible ePassports that can be scanned and compared against the travelers’ faces as they prepare to exit the country. It’s expected to reduce processing times from about 50 seconds to 20 seconds per person.
The system will be implemented first at Hong Kong International Airport, with authorities expecting it to launch in the second quarter of this year, possibly as early as April. It could then be expanded to other airports going forward.
Speaking to Today, Hong Kong Director of Immigration Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said the new system is expected to apply to about 30 percent of visitors leaving Hong Kong at its outset, and by 2020 could be used with as much as 90 percent of all travelers.
Source: Today
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January 31, 2017 – by Alex Perala
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