CBP’s Biometric Border Screening System Sails to Port of Baltimore

“CBP’s public-private partnerships to expand biometric facial comparison at our air, land and seaports of entry has been critical to enhancing our nation’s security, streamlining travel efficiency and improving customer experience, while protecting the privacy of all travelers.” – Stephen Maloney, CBP’s Director of Field Operations for the Baltimore Field Office

US Customs and Border Protection has once again teamed up with Carnival Cruise Line to bring its biometric border control system to another seaport.

In this case, the destination is the Port of Baltimore, where Carnival Cruise passengers can now undergo a face scan for identity verification during the debarkation process. CBP’s system uses facial recognition to match a traveler to their passport or visa photo in DHS records, and the government agency says that it is 98 percent accurate.

Those who do not wish to undergo a biometric scan are permitted to request a manual inspection, whereas those who go through the scan are expected to enjoy a more streamlined border screening process.

“As cruise travel resumes around our nation’s ports, CBP is excited to partner with Carnival Cruise Line and the Maryland Port Administration to deliver a safe and secure identity verification process for cruise travelers at the Port of Baltimore cruise terminal,” said Stephen Maloney, CBP’s Director of Field Operations for the Baltimore Field Office.

The Baltimore deployment comes after CBP worked with Carnival Cruise Line to deploy the same system at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, earlier this year. The agency has now deployed its biometric screening system at 14 seaports; in addition to Maryland and Alabama, these include locations in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, California, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico.

While CBP does not use the same “Simplified Arrival” branding when discussing seaport deployments, its biometric screening system is similar to those it has now installed across all US airports. It has also been working to expand the system across land border checkpoints. The airport and seaport deployments, unlike those at land borders, generally entail the cooperation of private sector organizations like airlines, airports, and cruise lines.

“CBP’s public-private partnerships to expand biometric facial comparison at our air, land and seaports of entry has been critical to enhancing our nation’s security, streamlining travel efficiency and improving customer experience, while protecting the privacy of all travelers,” CBP’s Maloney explained.

The agency says that it has now processed more than 187 million travelers using its biometric system.

–

July 19, 2022 – by Alex Perala