The Government Wants to Scan Your Face When You Enter the US. It Hasn't Gone Well So Far.

Officials at Dulles International Airport in Virginia unveil new biometric facial recognition scanners in September 2018.Bill O'Leary/Getty In 2018, the federal government started scanning people's faces as they drove into and out of the country at the Anzalduas International Bridge, which connects the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to Mexico. Customs and Border Protection said collecting these biometric images would enhance security and make identifying travelers more efficient. But less than a year later, a data breach compromised 100,000 facial images and 105,000 license plate images. Nineteen facial images from the breach were posted to the dark web. Now, CBP wants to expand facial surveillance beyond Anzalduas and other sites that were part of a pilot program, even as the program saw potential security vulnerabilities in at least four airports, according to a report from the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.