The Bush Administration has proposed to require fingerprint collection from international visitors when they are going through airports or cruise liners. The fingerprints collected would be sent to Homeland security department soon after the visitors leave, according to a proposed rule.
(Here’s a type of fingerprint scanner used in the UK but not necessarily in UK aiports. Taken from VirginMedia.com website)
The proposal to be announced Tuesday will close a security gap identified after the 9/11 attacks.
According to DJ Newswires, Airlines and cruise ship operators must provide the department with biographical information before they leave the country and to do that they will need to have biometric information - such as fingerprints. The data needs to be collected and then transmitted within 24 hours of the visitor leaving the US, according to a homeland security official who spoke on condition of anonimity as the announcement had not yet been made.
Here’s a link for some of the places where an international visitor would require their fingerprints. Ten fingerprint scanners have already been enforced in some US airports since November 29, 2007.
What is your take on this? Are you prepared to provide your identity and have Uncle Sam know exactly where you’ve been and when you were there?
Expect to see more of these fingerprint scanners at an airport near you.
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