A new screening program registering travelers’ faces will be introduced by Canada Border Services Agency in all the country’s airports

All passengers entering or returning to Canada will attend the latest border self-screening with the help of new technology security kiosks, in order to increase the clearance flow.

The first locations for facial recognition formalities will be installed at the Ottawa International Airport, as the Primary Inspection Kiosk (PIK) program will extend in other Canadian airports starting 2018.

According to the CBSA representatives, “the new kiosks will improve border security, as well as assist in reducing wait times and congestion at Canada’s busiest airports.”

Further information about how exactly the system works are expected to be released during the next month. Apparently, the kiosks will register biometric data of passengers and compare it with the passport photo for border clearance.

Of course, privacy issues will definitely be raised by the new biometric policy. In order to make sure the data is not used for other purposes, privacy experts will closely monitor the new system.

The current program represents Phase One of a larger security project developed in the country. According to the sources, Phase Two will focus on fingerprints recognition as the main identification method for passengers.