Japan is pursuing facial biometric technology for border security at the nation’s airports. It has appropriated $2.69 million in funding for such a system. Japan is planning the new biometric facial recognition capabilities to be deployed at domestic airports as well as international arrivals.
The country already uses extensive biographic profiling including facial scans and finger print scans at international arrivals, the new system would scan the faces of all visitors to the nation’s airports. It will match them against terrorist databases. Japan also wants to share this information with other governments around the world.
With the 2020 Summer Olympics to take place in Tokyo, Japan is motivated to upgrade its security system with the latest technology. Also the Paris terror attacks also added impetus to the upgrades.
Tightening the grip of security agencies on travelers is inevitable. Terrorism is pushing governments to become very sophisticated in their efforts to keep people safe from terrorist attacks. The new technology is also important to tracking the traveling public so that in a crisis, governments will have a huge database to work with in solving the crisis.
“We have no time to lose. The end is near. The passage from place to place to spread the truth will soon be hedged with dangers on the right hand and on the left. Everything will be placed to obstruct the way of the Lord’s messengers, so that they will not be able to do that which it is possible for them to do now. We must look our work fairly in the face, and advance as fast as possible in aggressive warfare.” Evangelism, page 30