CBP using Unisys facial recognition solution at JFK Airport

Following up on its successful testing last year at Dulles International Airport, Unisys Corporation announced this week that its facial recognition solution has been deployed at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) identify imposters attempting to enter the United States using passports that are fraudulent or do not belong to them.

The biometric identitfication system will initially be rolled out at three terminals this month at JFK.

The Unisys developed solution allows CBP officers to scan and display biographic and biometric information from travelers’ passports, while a desktop camera captures their live facial images. CBP officers use the system to analyze and compare the facial image from biometric passports, or e-Passports, to the live captured image. If the images do not match, travelers may be subject to additional investigation by CBP officers.

“The successful tests last year at Dulles Airport proved the ability of the system to efficiently and accurately perform one-to-one facial image comparisons,” said Amy Rall, group vice president for the Department of Homeland Security practice at Unisys Federal. “This solution can help make the country safer without disrupting travel or sacrificing travelers’ privacy.”

The Dulles field test focused on travelers 18 and older who had ePassports but has since been expanded to include similarly aged first-time travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries. The JFK program is using the facial recognition technology to match arriving first-time Visa Waiver Program travelers and returning U.S. citizens with ePassports to help match individuals to their passports.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  biometrics  |  CBP  |  ePassports  |  facial recognition  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  pilot project  |  Unisys  |  visa waiver program