Senior US government officials have said that biometric technology will have a vital role to play as the US beefs up security at its borders at the connect:ID conference in Washington. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) in remarks at the Connect ID conference, said biometric identification technology would be more cost-effective than President Trump's planned border wall.”We're looking for ways to make the border work more efficiently, not shut it down,” said Peters.Keynote speaker, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) also sees biometric technology as a key to enhanced border security.Biometric technologies, he said in remarks at the same conference, are “key” to expanding visa entry-exit security programs and blocking terrorists from moving through the southern border and into the U.S. Foreign fighters returning from a failing terrorist caliphate in the Middle East could get Mexican drug cartels to smuggle them into the U.S., he said.Earlier this week at the same conference, Kevin McAleenan, the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), also outlined how biometric tech is playing an essential role in improving US border security.McAleenan said that the CBP is completed committed to leveraging the latest tech to secure borders from threats, adding that “biometrics are an essential part of what we do”.”Biometrics have two advantages – first they are accurate and largely immutable, they promote data accuracy and reduce fraud. Secondly, they are becoming increasingly user friendly”.The senior US official revealed that this was “a defining moment in the biometric exit strategy”, saying he was confident that innovative partnerships would enable a full roll out technical implenetations towards biometric exit.From 1 June, the CBP will begin biometric exit pilots across the country, with a new airport coming online every two weeks and systems accessing a real-time response from the cloud.”This is a tremendous opportunity to capitalise on the achievements of the industry”.
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