Just in time for the holidays

Here's another story on biometric monitoring in airports. Last week London's Heathrow Airport began a twelve month trial in biometrics use in their Terminal 3. The first passengers the program is being tested on will be from Hong Kong and Dubai. They will be asked to submit a fingerprint scan which will be tied to their passport information and run through criminal and immigration databases to determine whether one is "safe" for travel. Facial recognition culled from scanned passport photos will be used as well. At the moment the program is voluntary and being promoted as a way to hasten check-in times, but Heathrow authorities have been very clear that this project will be expanded to include more terminals, more countries, expanded biometric records, and compulsory passenger participation.

Read CNN's coverage of the story here.

The Register points out a number of security holes in the scheme.