US expands facial recognition technology at borders to track non-citizens | Technology

The United States will expand the use of facial recognition technology to track non-citizens entering and exiting the country in a bid to combat visa overstays and passport fraud, according to a government document released Friday.

A new regulation would allow U.S. border officials to require non-citizens to be photographed at airports, seaports, land crossings and other points of departure, expanding the scope of an earlier pilot program. The document stated that, within the scope of the regulation that will come into force on December 26, US authorities may request the submission of other biometric information such as fingerprints or DNA.

It also allows border authorities to use facial recognition for children under 14 and senior citizens over 79, who are currently exempt. Tighter border rules reflect a broader effort by Donald Trump to curb illegal immigration. The Republican president has stepped up resources to secure the U.S.-Mexico border while also taking steps to reduce the number of people with overstayed visas. The growing use of facial recognition at U.S. airports has raised privacy concerns from watchdog groups concerned about overreach and errors. A 2024 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said tests showed facial recognition was more likely to misidentify Black people and other minority groups.

The Congressional Research Service estimated that about 42% of the 11 million immigrants in the United States in 2023 had illegally overstayed their visas at the time. In 1996, Congress passed a law requiring the creation of an automatic entry-exit system, but this law was never fully implemented.

According to the regulation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection already uses facial recognition for all commercial air entrances, but only to register exits at certain locations. CBP estimates that the biometric entry-exit system can be fully implemented for both entry and exit at all commercial airports and seaports within the next three to five years.