We have taken pictures of Canadian travelers entering and exiting all the country’s borders, airports

Warren Shepell had an unpleasant experience this month when she boarded her plane from Cleveland and headed home to Toronto.

Just before entering the plane, he says two officers are separated

“I was in a grave. I felt attacked,” said Shelell, a Canadian psychologist.

He says the men never explained who they were or why they were taking pictures.

“They didn’t tell me anything, and I feel broken.”

Taking photos in transit is something Canadians visiting the United States will have to get used to: the country is developing a plan to take photos of Canadian travelers entering and leaving the country on all modes of transportation.

For over a decade, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been using facial recognition to verify the identity of foreign passengers arriving at US airports. The process involves taking pictures of travelers, and using them biometric face matching technology Making sure their face matches the photo on their travel documents.

Now, CBP is expanding the program with the goal of collecting photos of passengers walking through all US airports. The agency also plans to take pictures of travelers entering and leaving the country at all seaports, and at car lines at the borders of the world.

CBP told CBC News that it expects to have facial biometric technology fully in place at state borders by next year. Full implementation at seaports and airports is expected within three to five years.

Meanwhile, CBP is already laying the groundwork for its plan. US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the new law on Friday That makes it a right to compel non-US citizens, including Canadians, to participate in its facial biometric programs. The regulation is set to take effect on December 26 – though full implementation of the system could take years.

By law, photographs taken by foreign travelers will remain in the DHS database for up to 75 years.

Watch | Snowbirds bone pictures, fingered on the US border:

Snowbirds are fingered at the US land border

Many Canadian snowbirds crossing the border into the US are being told they need to be photographed and fingerprinted as part of the new registration process.

CBP spokeswoman Jessica Turner said in an email that the expansion program fulfills “the mandate to record the majority of foreign nationals entering and exiting the United States.”

Transparent biometrics “is about ensuring accurate records, improving security, and enforcing immigration laws,” he said.

Travelers’ Departure helps CBP PinPOINT Those who stay in the country longer than allowedaccording to the new DHS rule.

Privacy Concerns

Facial Biometric it is already in place At most US airports for international travel. Turner confirmed that passenger Shepell was captured by CBP cameras as part of that process.

Upon arrival at the airport, CBP uses automatic surveillance cameras to photograph passengers. But the agency doesn’t have cameras set up at departure points, so CBP officers are tasked with taking pictures of travelers, the change said.

The process at the world’s borders will become less clear. Currently, CPB is a screening technology designed to “capture images of passengers in vehicles,” the change says.

He says the expansion of the system will help travelers because it provides a “quick, accurate,” hassle-free way “to verify their identity.

And it’s the wave of the future: Many countries have installed facial biometric technology at airports. Canada uses it International arrivals, however, means passengers can exit by requesting a written inspection. The European Union it gives out A system that requires non-EU citizens to be fingerprinted and photographed before entering the region.

Despite its widespread adoption, the technology raises concerns from privacy experts who say it could be misused.

“The creation of the infrastructure just creates the possibility of the possibility of explosive devices,” said Jeramie Scott, senior counsel at the US privacy intelligence agency.

He says the concern has been raised in the US, which “means federal regulations governing facial biometrics. This loophole opens the door for travelers’ data to be used for other purposes, such as screening, argued Scott.

He also noted that the Trump administration has shown that it will use personal data beyond its intended purpose to help and remove unauthorized immigrants.

For example, the US Treasury recently signed the agreement Sharing confidential tax data with immigration and customs enforcement (ice).

“We’ve already seen these administrations take information that they have … and try to use it for reasons or uses that were outside of the original purpose of its collection,” Scott said. “It really leads to a cool effect across the board.”

at Express Americans’ concerns about privacyCBP assures them that it keeps their photos for up to 12 hours, and that it can come out of transparent biometrics by requesting a written test.

In the meantime, Canadians can go out again, says the revolution. But that will end on December 26 when the new DHS rule goes into effect.

Passenger Shellell says no one told him he could opt out of taking pictures. He says that if he had known, he would have refused.

“I don’t trust the system,” said Shelell. “I’m a very strong privacy person.”

But CBP’s Turner said there’s no need to worry about its facial biometric system.

“CBP is committed to its privacy obligations and has taken steps to protect the privacy of all travelers,” she said.

Turner added that the agency uses facial matching technology “only at certain times and places where travelers already have proof of identity,” and that the sole purpose is to conduct document checks.

Preventing Travel?

Now that Shekell is aware of CBP’s face expansion plans, he is reconsidering going to the US and believes that CBP should expect Jetway to pay attention to their image.

“I was also worried because I had not warned that this would happen,” she said.

US Immigration Attorney Len Saunders says CBP’s plan to photograph Canadians en masse could also harm Canada’s tourism industry in the country.

“It certainly doesn’t help to encourage immigrants to come to the United States,” Saunders said. “It’s someone else who’s stopping you.”

Since US President Donald Trump took office, Canadian travel to the country has come under attack, partly because of Trump’s trade war anger and comments about Canada becoming Canada’s 51st state.

In SeptemberYear-over-year returns by Canadians to the US were down 27 percent for air travel, and 35 percent for land travel.

However, Saunders said that even if the rates decline due to obvious concerns about biometrics, it is unlikely that the Trump administration will act.

“It seems they are not in the business of promoting tourism,” he said. “It’s something I don’t think the American government really cares about.”