On my first post-Covid reentry last year the facial recognition at Global Entry caught me off guard. And only after touting Mobile Passport to a friend did I realize on my most recent return that it wasn't available at CLT. This article is an interesting rundown of the systems, how they work, and some of the pros/cons.
Whatever Happened to Those Self-Service Passport Kiosks at Airports?
Gift link, not subject to the nytimes paywall.
Yep, technology is wonderful but you have to wonder if privacy is a thing of the past. The article is interesting - thanks for sharing!
I am also uncomfortable, but it's worth noting that the Supreme Court long ago found that there is no expectation of Privacy in a public space. Since you signed up for Global Entry, surely you approved a privacy disclosure and had your fingerprints taken?
Because my local photograph (for automated immigration) at Heathrow was physically associated with my US passport, I have to assume that it could have been shared with the US (which has my photo anyway.) And because Tanzania once fingerprinted me, I have to assume they shared that with their ally, the United States of America - even though I don't have Global Entry and have not been arrested.
Edit: I am not addressing the OP specifically, but an equally troublesome aspect of Global Entry is the very clever exploitation (by the government) of the success of Skip The Line tickets elsewhere, and the general glow/attraction of Kardashian-VIP status, to convert what was an included, prepaid function of government into a fee-based income center. I'm not even talking about Equity and Inclusion, but just about how government services are funded.
Thanks for posting. It leaves us wondering what we can expect flying home from Italy through Amsterdam and Atlanta in early November. We do have Global Entry status.
I used this system entering the US at SEA a few weeks ago. There is an area with “global entry” signs. You step up to a booth, take off hats and glasses, and it does a face scan. You do not show your passport at this time. Process took 20 seconds. You are not issued a slip of paper like it used to do. You then move on, collect any luggage that needs collecting and then enter the line for “global entry” at passport control. An agent with an IPad like tablet asked me if I had done the scan and my name. I said “yes” , gave my name, said I had nothing to declare and was on my way as he touched his screen to check me off. This took maybe 60 seconds.
So many airports are using facial recognition at boarding gates and immigration that this seems a bit of a non-issue to me. If you aren’t doing this for global entry, you will be doing it for boarding somewhere.
Thanks very much for the gifting of the article.
So it sounds like it’s the mobile passport kiosks that are gone in some locations but Global Entry are still there.
When I returned via Seattle in May the GE kiosks were not available and I was directed to a complete *ss of a Customs agent ( yes, I had had him previously for a Customs ok after the Immigration GE approval.). Questions included what was a woman doing traveling alone and how much money did I have on me. I’m old and gray-haired and he could see everything about me on my Global Entry application. What a waste of his time.
I’m returning via another city this trip! Hope they have GE kiosks.
@Pam……One of those dangerous grannies😀😀
We did our first Global entry in Dallas this summer. My sister had a little problem get her face in focus but otherwise it was fast and easy. We didn't have much time between flights, so it was great. We deplaned, got our bags, went through immigration, rechecked our bags, did security and got to a domestic terminal in less than an hour. We would have had time for a beer if they hadn't been so expensive in Dallas!
