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Fact check: How does the US collect biometric data from international travelers?
Executive Summary
The key claims are that the United States collects biometric data from international travelers using facial comparison technology at hundreds of airports, has implemented a biometric exit program that photographs passengers at boarding, and is deploying Enhanced Passenger Processing systems that auto-capture images to verify identities before passengers reach CBP officers. These claims are documented in government and reporting summaries dated between September and November 2025 and reflect a rapid expansion of biometric collection for both arrivals and departures [1] [2] [3].
1. How many airports and where this tech is deployed — a growing nationwide network
The reporting asserts that 238 airports in the US use biometric facial comparison technology for processing arriving travelers, with 57 locations using it specifically for international air departures, and that all 14 CBP Preclearance sites are included in that count. That deployment figure frames the program as widespread and operational across major entry points rather than limited pilots [1]. The sources present a snapshot dated late September 2025, indicating the program’s scale as of that month; they do not list individual airports in the provided extracts but emphasize the combination of arrival and departure coverage that CBP is advertising [1].
2. What the “biometric exit” program means in practice — mug shots at the gate
A separate claim describes the biometric exit system as taking a live photo of each passenger during boarding, comparing it to a gallery derived from passport or visa photos, and matching that image to the airline’s flight manifest to confirm who actually departed. The description portrays the system as operationalized for routine departures and not only for targeted or exceptional screenings, with stated intentions to expand to air, sea, and land borders [2]. That account, dated September 29, 2025, frames the program as a formalized policy shift where permission to leave can be tied to a biometric check, a phrasing that signals both operational and legal implications [2].
3. New “Enhanced Passenger Processing” — front-loading identity checks in the terminal
CBP’s Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP) is presented as technology that photographs travelers using auto-capture to complete customs assessment before they reach a CBP officer, aiming to streamline entry for US citizens and others. The November 8, 2025 report highlights EPP’s goal of providing a complete customs assessment earlier in the passenger flow, indicating a shift of biometric verification to earlier stages in the arrival sequence and potentially integrating with existing facial comparison systems [3]. The description focuses on traveler experience improvements and operational efficiency while implicitly increasing the amount of biometric data captured at airports [3].
4. How arrival systems relate to European rules — a transatlantic contrast
One piece links US developments to parallel changes in Europe: the EU’s Entry/Exit System will require fingerprints and photographs from Americans arriving and departing most Schengen countries. That account positions biometric collection as a globalizing trend in border management and suggests interoperability or reciprocal expectations for biometric standards, while emphasizing that the EU’s system explicitly includes fingerprints in addition to photos [4]. The September 25, 2025 dating underscores near-simultaneous policy movements on both sides of the Atlantic, complicating travel for citizens and signaling cross-border policy alignment on biometric tracking [4].
5. Agreement and divergence across the sources — points of alignment and gaps
Across the documents, three consistent points emerge: facial biometrics are being widely deployed at US airports, biometric exit processes are being implemented at departures, and CBP is introducing EPP to photograph travelers earlier in the flow [1] [2] [3]. Differences appear in emphasis: some reports spotlight the program’s scale and locations [1], while others stress operational design and passenger processing goals [2] [3]. The provided material does not detail data retention policies, consent mechanisms, error rates, or redress options — significant informational gaps that would affect privacy and legal analyses [1] [2] [3].
6. Potential agendas and what the coverage omits
The tone and focus of each account reveal likely agendas: deployment-focused pieces emphasize scale and efficiency, suggesting an agenda of normalizing biometric use in travel [1]. Operational descriptions of exit checks frame the system as a law‑enforcement or compliance tool that justifies its scope by border security aims [2]. The EPP description centers traveler experience, which underplays privacy trade-offs as a selling point for adoption [3]. None of the provided excerpts include civil-society perspectives, legal analysis, or technical performance metrics, leaving policy trade-offs and safeguards unexplored [1] [2] [3].
7. Bottom line — what is established and what remains unknown
The available analyses establish that the United States is actively using facial biometrics at scale for arrivals and departures, has a biometric exit program photographing passengers at boarding, and is deploying EPP systems to pre-assess travelers, with reporting dated September–November 2025 [1] [2] [3]. What remains unknown from these sources includes the precise list of airport sites, how biometric galleries are assembled and stored, retention and sharing policies, error rates and accuracy across demographic groups, and the legal framework governing use and redress. Those omissions are critical for a full evaluation of privacy, civil‑liberties, and operational effectiveness [1] [2] [3].