US Expands Airport Biometric Data Collection

athloi sends word of an expansion of the US-VISIT program that now requires two fingerprints from foreign visitors arriving at scores of airports. Beginning later this year the US will be testing a system that collects 10 digital fingerprints, at 10 major points of entry. A US Homeland Security director assured EU officials that the program would operate under strict privacy rules. But he noted that the FBI and CIA will have access to the biometric data, which over time may expand beyond fingerprints.

Comments

Re:the real effect and reason for US-VISIT v2.0

[XchristX]

Dude, I don't know when you arrived in the United States or why your experience in particular was this bad, but this is certainly not universally the case unlike the leftie fearmongers would like you to believe.

I too happen to be a physics student from India studying in Texas. I came in through San Fransisco but a few months after 9/11, when paranoia was supposedly at an all time high. Everybody told me to be wary of being strip-searched, stand in long queues, get "teh eeevil eye from teh nasty-nasty Yanks" (I grew up among Communists, what to do?) etc.etc. Nothing even remotely that bad occurred for me. There were no long lines at all (San Frisco airport had way more INS kiosks than necessary) and I sailed through just fine. Maybe if your name was Ahmed instead of Iyer you'd get some extra scrutiny, can't say I blame 'em. The INS officials were smooth, efficient and professional. The INS fellow who processed me even knew a couple of Hindi phrases which he tried to impress me with. Sure they took my fingerprints and shit, but why is that such a big issue unless you're some backwoods militant in Alabama hidin' from "da man" or some gun-toting Talib - Mujahid? If you want to live in any civilized society there has to be some way of identifying you for beaureaucratic purposes at least. Admittedly, this "ten digital fingerprints" is pushing the boundaries of privacy rights. However, I'm confident that there is sufficient political activism in this country to address this problem. That's what it's all about you know, checks and balances. This too shall pass.

Overall, I was very impressed with their efficiency and professionalism.Despite all the irrational and virulent anti-American bigotry and racism coming from my fellow passengers (many of whom were Europeans and middle-easterners, so no surprise there...), they were treated very politely (but firmly) by the immigration officials.

If only they implemented security measures like this in INDIAN airports (thanks for repealing POTA, moonbats) we wouldn't have to deal with thousands of Lashkar-e-Toiba Fidayeen loons running around the country "spreading the Jihad against the Kuffar".

All anecdotal evidence, I admit, but so's yours.