Katko, Guest, Gimenez, Higgins Share Biometric Technologies Roundtable Takeaways

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations Subcommittee, held a roundtable discussion with representatives from the biometrics industry to discuss the development and deployment of biometric technologies and their use across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Key Takeaways:

• Everyday interactions, like unlocking your mobile phone, accessing a financial account, or passing through an airport terminal are being made more secure by the integration of biometric security technologies.

 

• For DHS and its component agencies, biometric technologies provide useful tools for identifying transnational criminals and collecting information from foreign nationals attempting to enter our country illegally.

 

• For the American public, these technologies have the promise of delivering seamless and secure travel experiences. One prevalent example is at airport security screening checkpoints, where biometrics are expected to augment the screening processes for both domestic and international air travelers – particularly Trusted Travelers, like TSA PreCheck and CBP Global Entry enrollees, who will have the opportunity to opt-in to these services in the near future.

 

• As federal agencies and law enforcement officials deploy biometrics, we must differentiate ourselves from our foreign adversaries that use these technologies to surveil and persecute, rather than protect, their citizens.

 

• This includes critical thinking from both government and industry regarding where to encourage and limit deployment, and which, if any, privacy and data security requirements should be made permanent fixtures of federal policy.

 

• As Congress and the Committee on Homeland Security encourage deployment of biometric technologies, close collaboration with the private sector is crucial to ensuring that these technologies are deployed responsibly.