(WXYZ) — Despite push-back from civil rights groups saying Big Brother is watching, facial recognition is growing in Detroit.
Now the technology will be used at Detroit Metro Airport.
This facial recognition technology is for international flights.
It will be used to identify everything from a face to a person’s travel documents, like a passport, to allowing access.
According to US customs and Border Protection, this allows lines to flow smoothly.
They say it also strengthens national security by reducing the risk of an imposter using lost or stolen travel documents to enter or leave the United States.
This is optional— people who do not want to have their photo taken to be a part of the technology can request not to.
This is just for one time travel as well.
All photos are deleted within 12 hours of being taken.
It was just last week that the Detroit Police Board of Commissioners
approved using facial recognition technology
.
Many people were against that move, saying it could hurt people if they are falsely accused of a crime they did not commit.
Police Chief James Criag says this is just another tool in the tool box to fight crime.
Not as the sole piece of evidence.
“We cannot arrest solely on the identification from facial recognition,” said Craig. “We are not using it for live streaming that was another big concern in the community, so we want to reassure everybody involved – this is about supporting victims.”
Last December, Delta Airlines implemented facial recognition technology for fliers traveling to and from the Atlanta airport.
Much like this new technology for international flights, Delta’s facial recognition process is also optional.
