PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

US Customs Stops Imposter With New Facial Recognition Tech

The 26-year-old man, who was traveling from Sao Paulo, Brazil, presented a French passport to the CBP officer conducting primary inspections, but the new 'cutting-edge facial comparison biometric system' confirmed he wasn't a match to the document.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Using a new facial recognition system implemented just days earlier, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on Wednesday stopped an imposter who attempted to enter the US with someone else's passport.

The 26-year-old man, who was traveling from Sao Paulo, Brazil, presented a French passport to the CBP officer conducting primary inspections, but the new "cutting-edge facial comparison biometric system" confirmed he wasn't a match to the document, the agency said in a Thursday news release.

CBP bust

"The CBP officer referred the traveler to secondary for a comprehensive examination," the agency wrote. "In secondary, CBP officers noted the traveler's behavior changed and he became visibly nervous. A search revealed the man's authentic Republic of Congo identification card concealed in his shoe."

On Monday, CBP started using the new facial recognition technology at 14 early adopter airports. The system is designed to "provide additional security and to improve efficiency for international travelers."

In the future, the technology may be used throughout the airport security and boarding processes, so travelers are identified via biometrics instead of their boarding pass and ID, CBP said. The agency is deploying the new technology to verify travelers' identities "both upon arrival in, and departure from" the US.

Before departing, you stand in front of a camera and have your photo taken. The image is then matched against the photo on your passport. CBP said the "biometric matching service is hosted in a secure cloud-based environment." The agency discards photos of US citizens within 12 hours after their identities have been verified and deletes photos of non-US citizens within 14 days.

At this time, US citizens are not required to have their photos captured when entering or exiting the country. If you do not want to participate in the biometric entry or exit process, notify a CBP officer or an airline or airport representative and ask to be processed using alternate procedures.

"Facial recognition technology is an important step forward for CBP in protecting the United States from all types of threats," CBP Director of the Baltimore Field Office Casey Durst said in a statement. "Terrorists and criminals continually look for creative methods to enter the U.S. including using stolen genuine documents. The new facial recognition technology virtually eliminates the ability for someone to use a genuine document that was issued to someone else."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read full bio