Digital ID cards have become a national debating point in the UK, but many frontiers across the world already rely on online systems. The pace is accelerating for British passport holders: from 12 October, a photo of your face, as well as four fingerprints from your right hand, will be stored on an EU database when you cross a Schengen frontier post. The entry-exit system (EES) is designed to bring external Schengen area borders into the digital era.
Governments are keen on unique physical characteristics including fingerprints and iris recognition. But it is facial recognition that is fast making the physical passport obsolete. The favourite long-haul destination for British travellers is the US – where the technology is so far advanced that officers at airports may not even bother to look at the passenger’s passport.
