New NEXUS Kiosks Bring Face Recognition to Canadian Airports

Biometrics News – Facial Recognition

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will be swapping iris recognition for facial recognition in its NEXUS kiosks. The new kiosks will first be deployed at Vancouver International Airport before making their way to other major airports across the country.

“This initiative aligns the NEXUS program with international trends on traveler processing, and supports the CBSA’s goal to increase efficiencies without compromising security,” said the CBSA in a statement.

NEXUS travelers will need to have their passport with them the first time they use the new kiosks. They will then be prompted to upload their passport photo to the NEXUS platform to speed up the identity verification process on future trips. NEXUS travelers will still need to speak to a CBSA agent to handle any import declarations, or if they’re not carrying their passport the first time they use the kiosk.

As the CBSA notes, facial recognition is becoming an increasingly popular form of screening at international border checkpoints. A recent NEC survey found that frequent flyers (like those in the NEXUS program) generally support the use of facial recognition, while other border organizations – including the European Border Agency and US Customs and Border Protection – have moved forward with their own face-based biometric screening programs.

The other airports that will be getting the new kiosks include Stanfield Airport in Halifax, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Macdonald-Cartier Airport in Ottawa, and James Armstrong Richardson Airport in Winnipeg, as well as Calgary International Airport, Edmonton International Airport, and the Pearson and Billy Bishop Airports in Toronto.

Sources: Travel Pulse Canada, Daily Hive

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October 30, 2019 – by Eric Weiss