Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport is all set to roll out controversial facial recognition technology. Every checkpoint inside the airport will transition to the new full facial recognition technology to ensure passenger flow and well-ordered security measures.
This new technology to automatically identify passengers in the airport is called the Smart Travel project. It is currently being implemented in what is considered a futuristic flight hub, settled within the wealthy capital of the United Arab Emirates.
This automatic passenger ID system will replace traditional screening processes, eliminating the need to take out documents such as ID cards and passports when traveling.
This gradual biometric identification system is slowly taking over every aspect of this major airport, including lounges, duty-free shops, and boarding gates.
Are Privacy Rights Being Compromised?
The biometric concept has already sparked controversy in the United States. However, in the United Arab Emirates, it is implemented that the new tech will take charge at nine locations by 2025.
In fact, many parts of Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport have embraced this new technology, such as the hometown carrier, Etihad Airways.
Even though this controversial tech is meant to automatically ID passengers and speed up the airport security checks process, it has raised several concerns around the globe related to privacy breaches, lack of transparency, and consent issues.
Andrew Murphy, the chief information officer, has praised the capabilities of this technology to manage traffic at the airport. According to him, no pre-enrollment is required in the design and working of the facial ID technology, which can recognize passengers automatically, and even authenticate them as they move through the airport. The passengers can go from the curb to the gate and retail area in a much shorter time, in less than 15 minutes.
This speeding up of the traditional process is a groundbreaking advantage at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport – a huge and busy airport.
The International Air Transport Association survey, which was conducted last year, revealed that 75% of the studied passengers were in favor of biometric identification.
However, in the United States of America, when the TSA disclosed its plan to roll out this concept in over 400 airports, there was a huge backlash, mainly due to concerns related to privacy.
Jeff Merkley, Oregon Senator, analyzed that the TSA program was a precursor to a fully fledged national surveillance state. It was also debated that nothing was more damaging to the privacy and freedom of national values than this type of power and that no government should be trusted with it.
In Abu Dhabi, however, you still have the option to opt out of the biometric facial recognition technology and choose the traditional scans.
