Eurostar to roll out facial recognition for ‘passport-free’ travel to Europe

Eurostar is to deploy biometric facial verification by iProov to allow Eurostar passengers to check-in and board without showing their passports.

By March 2021, travellers at London’s St Pancras International Station will be able to walk down a contactless, camera-lined “biometric corridor” without presenting any formal identification.

Passengers can opt to verify their identity in advance by uploading a selfie and a photograph of their passport, after which they receive a message to confirm their identity document has been secured.

The government-backed system is intended to speed up boarding, cut queues and eliminate physical contact during the Covid-19 crisis, and passports and tickets will only be necessary once customers reach their destination.

Privacy campaigners had questioned the need to introduce facial recognition cameras when travel on Eurostar already uses contactless technology.

Ilia Siatitsa, legal officer at Privacy International, said the level of intrusion of facial recognition technology is so high that the legality of its use should be questioned.

“Being efficient or quick for travelling [is] not sufficient justification for introducing such intrusive technology, particularly where there can be other alternatives,” she said.

iProov will process images to ensure the identity and “genuine presence” of the passenger. The technology aims to verify that the user is a real person and not a photo, video, mask or deepfake. 

Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO at iProov, described the project a “world first”, and said the initiative has grown from its original aim to help “reduce travel congestion and keep passengers moving”, and is now going to help “keep people safe in a pandemic world through social distancing and contactless interaction”.