Facial Recognition Technology On The Horizon For North Carolina Airports

It's likely than when you head to the airport in the near future, facial recognition technology will replace the need for a passport. 

A number of airports around the country have already adopted the use of facial recognition to help alleviate wait times for passengers boarding international flights.

The News and Observer reports the controversial technology may be in place at the Charlotte and Raleigh airports sometime next year.

The process involves cameras that take pictures of arriving travelers that are downloaded and compared to photos already in a federal database. A passenger's identity could be confirmed in seconds.

Some privacy advocates have expressed concerns that the technology is invasive and could be misused.

But Barry Chastain, the federal customs official who oversees North Carolina airports, says facial recognition can deter fraud and will make travel more convenient and secure.

Chastain says he'd like to see the system in place at the Charlotte-Douglas International airport in time for the Republican National Convention, which starts in August of 2020.