The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has introduced new facial recognition technology to verify passenger ID.
When entering the TSA screening area, travellers may be asked to insert their government-issued photo ID into a next-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) unit, which is equipped with a camera that captures a photo of the individual. The CAT compares the guest’s facial features on their photo ID against those from the in-person photo, confirming their identity. Once the technology confirms a match, it will be verified by a TSA officer and the passenger can proceed through the checkpoint without ever exchanging physical documents. TSA officers can perform additional passenger verification if required.
Photos captured by CAT units are not stored or used for any other purpose than identity verification in the security checkpoint. Guests who do not wish to participate in facial recognition verification can opt out in favour of an alternative identity verification process.
