Airport Biometric Scaners

[Jbird]

Hello All.

My 18 year old daughter had a city break to barcelona last week. On enetering
the barcelona exit/customs/passport section she had to have her face scaned
and her hand scaned. She tells me that all the exiting passengers had to do the same.
Q. Is this now a standard and whom has the data and I am I wrong that finger prints, at least in this contry can only be taken post a police caution?

[sunny-dave]

Not compulsory - you can say no & join a (much) longer queue for a conventional Passport check.

No one stores anything from the scans - they are simply matched against data already held in your Passport, to verify that you are who you say you are.

[237SJ]

It`s a standard in some airports. The US has been doing it for years (photo and fingerprints. I noticed there are super-duper ultra modern face scanners in Doha airport now. The practice will probably become more widespread as more airports purchase the technology. The info is just for identification purposes at Immigration.

[Jbird]

Thanks for the previous answers, very helpfull. I am not however conviced with reference to the finger print side of it. Thinking about it, they would have to retain the print info for it to be of any use to them in the distant future?

Thamks again

[237SJ]

The prints will be kept on their database for future identification at Immigration.

[sunny-dave]

The finger print is used to match with some Passports (not the UK one) - they just capture prints and face from every traveller and match whichever is relevant.

Nothing new is stored.

[ dave waits for conspiracy theorists to say 'how do you know' ]

[sunny-dave]

Not in the EU, 237SJ - at least that's the official line.

[campbellking]

I went to Argentina earlier this year and they a thumb print and eye scan on entry and exit from Buenos Aires, but not when I went across the Brazilian border to the Falls.

[dzug2]

.. I am I wrong that finger prints, at least in this country can only be taken post a police caution? ..

You are wrong

It is unfortunate that fingerprints invoke a pavlovian reaction of 'criminal record' - are a very useful means of identification in many situations