Latest news with #eGates
The Hill
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Biometric ‘eGates' to be tested at these US airports, CLEAR announces
(NEXSTAR) – The Transportation Security Administration has already done away with requiring travelers to take off their shoes during screenings, and the agency has introduced lines dedicated for families. Now, TSA is launching a futuristic means of getting through security. On Tuesday, the tech firm CLEAR announced a pilot, public-private partnership with TSA to bring biometric 'eGates' to select U.S. airports to 'expedite the passenger experience and enhance security' ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup and America's 250th anniversary celebration. Trump admin may reclassify marijuana: Would that make it legal in the US? The gates are meant to help you skip the TSA podium, where an agent verifies your identification and boarding pass before you can enter the security screening area. The eGates use 'real-time biometric verification' by matching your face with the facial image on your identity document and your boarding pass. The gates will be overseen by TSA, with agents capable of 'triggering gate access, conducting security vetting, and enforcing government security requirements.' According to CLEAR, eGates are debuting at three airports this month: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia Ronald Reagan National Airport in the District of Columbia Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington The company intends to bring eGates to airports nationwide, but did not give an exact timeline on Tuesday. 'CLEAR is investing in this technology at no cost to taxpayers to modernize our checkpoints and ensure America's airports are ready to meet global expectations,' CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in a press release. 'CLEAR's secure identity platform will help unlock a better, safer, and more frictionless experience for all travelers.' CLEAR is already a partner in TSA's PreCheck program with a presence in more than 200 airports nationwide. The company didn't say on Tuesday whether or not you'll need to have PreCheck to use the eGates. CLEAR did not immediately respond to Nexstar's request for additional information. Last month, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told NewsNation host Blake Burman at the Hill Nation Summit that the agency had been reviewing ways to make traveling — specifically getting through TSA — easier. Shortly before that announcement, TSA confirmed it would allow travelers to leave their shoes on during security screenings. Then, in late July, TSA announced a new 'Families on the Fly' program that gives those with children 'their own space where they can move through security at their own pace, without feeling rushed or as though they're inconveniencing other travelers.' Dedicated lines for service members and their families are also in the works. Other future updates to the security screening process, according to Noem, may include easing the liquids rule. Noem also said she was 'working with several different companies with technologies to give us competitive bids on what they actually do.' 'The future of an airport, where I'm looking to go, is you walk in the door with your carry-on suitcase, you walk through a scanner and right to your flight. Takes you one minute,' Noem said during the Hill Nation Summit.
Geek Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
CLEAR to launch biometric ‘eGates' at Seattle airport to speed security in time for World Cup
CLEAR eGates match a traveler's facial image with their identity document and boarding pass. (CLEAR Photo) Security company CLEAR is partnering with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to launch new biometric 'eGates' at select airports across the country, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, to ease bottlenecks at security checkpoints ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The public-private partnership comes at no cost to taxpayers, CLEAR said in a news release on Tuesday. The automated eGates — available to CLEAR+ members who opt in — are designed to conduct real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler's facial image with their identity document and boarding pass. Once identity is confirmed, a traveler passes the gate and proceeds to physical screening, bypassing the TSA podium. 'It's fully integrated. It's one step. And the total transaction time should be between three and six seconds,' CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker told Axios. CLEAR is implementing the eGate pilot program at three U.S. airports to start this month before a wider nationwide rollout. (CLEAR Image) CLEAR says that it transmits only limited data (live photo, boarding pass, ID photo used for enrollment and identity information), and that it has no access to watchlists, cannot override TSA gate decisions, and does not manually open gates. The pilot program debuts Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), next week at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), and the week of Aug. 31 at Sea-Tac Airport (SEA). CLEAR plans to expand eGate implementation across more than 30 airports in the next year, according to The Points Guy. More than 20 million international visitors are expected to fly to the U.S. for the World Cup soccer tournament next year, and Seattle is hosting six matches. Adoption of biometrics and facial recognition technology is becoming more commonplace in air travel. A handful of airlines at Sea-Tac offer customers the option of using TSA's PreCheck Touchless ID. CLEAR+ is a paid membership program that costs $209 per year. Previously:
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
The new eGates programs hopes to make it a quick trip through airport customs at these three cities
Security screening company CLEAR announced it is piloting biometric 'eGates' is coming to three major American airports in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration ahead of a nationwide rollout. CLEAR and TSA's pilot program kicked off Tuesday at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, next week at Reagan National and the week of August 31 at Seattle-Tacoma, Axios reported. The eGates are being trialed ahead of what is expected to be a massive year for travel in the U.S., as airports anticipate millions of international travelers for big events such as the 2026 World Cup, expected to draw in 20 million visitors, and America's 250th birthday. 'This is frictionless travel. This is more secure," CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker told Axios. "This is making airports great again, ahead of the World Cup." "It's fully integrated. It's one step. And the total transaction time should be between three and six seconds," Seidman-Becker added. The move will also free up CLEAR agents 'to bring other services to travelers,' Seidman-Becker said. The eGates are being fully funded by CLEAR, at no cost to taxpayers, the company said. Only travelers with CLEAR+ memberships, which allow them to bypass lengthy security lines, will be able to access the eGates. A CLEAR+ membership costs $209 a year. The new eGates will conduct real-time biometric verification to confirm travelers' identities, meaning once travelers are verified, they can bypass the TSA podium and go straight to physical screening. They then take that biometric data, such as facial recognition, and compare it with a passport to check someone's ID and let them through security. The TSA will still have complete operational control over the eGates, including triggering gate access and enforcing government security requirements. CLEAR says it has no access to 'no-fly' watchlists, cannot override TSA gate decisions and does not manually open the gates. CLEAR and TSA agents will remain at the gates to help travelers. The company says it only transmits limited data, such as the live photo, boarding pass and ID the traveler used for enrollment. While for now, the eGates simply provide a shortcut to the luggage screening process, they will eventually be able to scan passengers fully via biometrics, according to The Points Guy. After launching its pilot program, it will expand to at least 30 more airports within the next few years, according to the report. 'Our expectation is to roll this out nationwide and so that by the time the World Cup comes around next summer our airports are competing and leading with the airports around the world,' Seidman-Becker, the company's CEO, said.
Fast Company
a day ago
- Fast Company
TSA and Clear are finally adding eGates ahead of the 2026 World Cup—meaning your lines could get a lot shorter at these airports
If you travel outside of the country a lot, you'll know returning to America can be a slog. That's because American airports currently lack automated border control (ABC) systems, better colloquially known as 'eGates.' The lack of eGates at America's airports means even passengers with American passports need to wait in long lines to have their passports checked by a border customs official. But now that's changing—at least at a few airports—thanks to a partnership between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and security identity company CLEAR. eGates are finally coming to America. Here's what that means for travelers. What is an eGate? An eGate is a colloquial term for an automated border control (ABC) system. eGates are checkpoints used at border crossings and security checkpoints in many foreign airports around the world. Instead of waiting in long lines for manual passport and boarding pass checks by a human official, passengers can opt to proceed via an eGate. These automated eGates are equipped with cameras, passport readers, and biometric scanners. When a passenger enters an eGate, the system reads their passport and identifies them via their biometrics (via a facial scan or fingerprint scan). If everything checks out, the eGates open automatically and the passenger is permitted through—no human checks of their documents needed. eGates can significantly reduce processing times for arrivals and departures, thereby decreasing wait times and enabling people to reach their final destinations more quickly. Why are eGates finally being rolled out in the United States? The rollout of eGates at select U.S. airports is being done for a few reasons. The first is to help modernize the infrastructure at American airports. Faster processing of passengers benefits everyone, from travelers who now have more time to catch connecting flights to airports that can streamline the onboarding and offboarding process. eGates also automatically records a traveler's biometrics, which helps increase security. But there is another factor in the eGate rollout: the 2026 World Cup that is being held in the United States. That sporting event is expected to attract tens of millions of soccer fans from around the world to the United States next year. The massive influx of tourists threatens to overwhelm American airports' traditional, manual arrival procedures, which require travel documents to be manually checked by a TSA official. An eGate rollout at American airports before the World Cup is expected to reduce these bottlenecks significantly. What airports are eGates rolling out at? It's important to note that eGates aren't coming to all American airports this year. As a matter of fact, the partnership announced between the TSA and CLEAR will also see three airports gain eGates at first. Those three airports are: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) CLEAR says that after the initial trial at the three airports listed above, the company expects to roll out its eGate technology across its network of airports nationwide. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Clear Aims to Speed Airport Security Screening With New Tech
Clear YOU -0.09%decrease; red down pointing triangle is deploying new technology that aims to move paying members more quickly through airport lanes. The identity-verification company is installing biometric 'eGates' at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, it said Tuesday, a move meant to speed up the checkpoint experience ahead of major events like the World Cup.
