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Automatic passport reading devices will make airports insecure, argue border control professionals

Border control professionals are refusing to work with automated passport devices after the UK Border Agency expressed fears that the machines are compromising airport security.

The so-called ‘passport control robots’ scan the face of the passport holder and compare it against biometric data stored in a chip in the passport.

The UK Border Agency had previously said that it believed the machines were more efficient and more secure than their human equivalents. In November last year Gordon Brown announced his plan for an ‘e-borders’ scheme to help fight terrorism, and ministers have indicated a desire to replace most human border control workers with the machines.

However, the UK Border Agency has since expressed concerns about the reliability of the devices. When confronted about the devices by a representative of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), the agency’s head of operations Gary Murphy admitted “the security services are concerned about this”.

Hi-tech border control

Border security is an increasingly hi-tech concern, with many military technologies finding new applications there. Last month, the UK Border Agency revealed that it has been using another kind of robot, codenamed Hero, that can scan vehicles for heartbeats and detect concealed illegal immigrants. The system, built by BAE Systems, was first deployed in the war in Afghanistan.

Whether such technological applications are more secure or simply cheaper than human security forces is a matter of continued debate.

Further reading

Biometric diversity
Introducing a host of innovations that use unusual human characteristics to confirm identity

The return of the ID card debate
The UK Government’s embarrassing loss of 25 million citizens’ personal details has reignited the ID card debate

Find more stories in the Security & Continuity Briefing Room