12 August, 2004
category: Biometrics, Financial, Government, RFID
“The first biometric passports will be phased in progressively from 2005.
Biometric passports and visas are intended to improve authentication of the documents themselves and not, at least in the short term, to identify potential terrorists by means of automatic comparison between the individual and a blacklist of people stored on a distant server.That kind of procedure is predicted in a second phase, when the technology will be more efficient, by using 3D comparisons and skin-texture analysis.
In 2005, European visas and passports will have to carry an RFID-type chip containing the digitised facial image of the rightful holder. When passing through customs, the document will be scanned by a reader, which will compare the image on the chip with the photograph on the document.”
Also- Smiling and hats are forbidden. (In passport photos. A general ban on smiling and hats would be too broad.)