Biometric seamless travel system from Face4 and Entrust tested by Canadian govt

The Government of Canada has selected and successfully tested a seamless travel solution utilizing facial recognition from Ottawa-based Face4 Systems.

The solution was developed in partnership with Entrust, and enables travelers to create a digital identity in the form of a W3C-compliant verifiable credential using their mobile phone and chip-bearing biometric passport. The credential is presented at verification points such as border control, security, or flight boarding, and the travelers biometrics and metadata are submitted to a cloud facial recognition service. The data is synchronized with travel touchpoints, allowing the traveler to then proceed with only their face biometrics. The test was supported by Shared Services Canada, Face4 says.

The process described is similar to that of IATA’s One ID, which recently completed a trial in Asia which also used verifiable credentials with biometrics and cut passenger processing times by 40 percent. A trial of Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) for flights between Europe and Canada was also completed successfully last year.

The Face4-Entrust seamless travel project is funded by Innovative Solutions Canada, which operates under the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada. The test was conducted at Shared Services Canada’s controlled laboratory, which a government official describes as a next-generation IT environment designed to perform research and development on innovative and emerging technology.

The solution was developed to align with the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF). It is intended to improve aviation and border security while also increasing operational efficiency, according to a company announcement.

“We are thrilled to have our Seamless Travel solution selected and successfully tested by the Government of Canada, and to be able to contribute to Canada’s vision for a digital trust framework,” says Ilan Arnon, CEO of Face4 Systems. “This collaboration with Entrust combines the power of face recognition technology and secure digital credentials, helping to transform the future of travel in Canada and beyond.”

Face4 and Entrust participated in a small-scale test of the chain-of-trust identity authentication program operated by the Canada Border Services Agency with flight crews in Toronto back in 2022.

This post was updated at 10:55am Eastern on March 6, 2025 to include information on the laboratory where the test was performed.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Canada  |  digital identity  |  digital travel credentials  |  Entrust  |  Face4 Systems  |  facial recognition