Thousands of migrants cross the southern US border every month. Since 2017, a new eye-scanning system has been used to verify their identities. But how regulated are these biometric technologies? More here: http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 1/7

Canada has been researching and piloting facial recognition at its borders for a few years. Based on publicly available information, we haven’t yet implemented biometric identification on as large a scale as the US has. http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 2/7

@HilaryBeaumont examines how quickly the use of these technologies is increasing at the southern US border, which is perhaps our best way of getting a glimpse of what may be in our own future. http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 3/7

How do these tools work? Biometric technologies measure and analyze a person’s unique features and check them against a database. Often, the tech is first introduced at border crossings because we have lowered privacy expectations there. http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 4/7

Over time, the use of biometric technologies expands into daily life. According to a US report, from 2016 to 2019, the global facial-recognition market generated $3 to $5 billion (US) in revenue. That is projected to grow up to $10 billion by 2024. http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 5/7

Human rights experts say that, in both the US and Canada, the use of new technologies in border control is underregulated—and even law enforcement officials acknowledge that new tech isn’t always covered within the scope of existing legislation. http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 6/7

Disclosure of its use also varies from spotty to nonexistent—the public doesn’t know much about how and where these tools are deployed. What conversations do we need to be having about security, privacy, and personal data collection? http://thewalrus.ca/when-border-security-crosses-a-line/ 7/7