The United States airports are investing in new biometric electronic gates to speed up the entrance of foreign visitors to the country, with the World Cup 2026 in mind. On August 26, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the most transited international airport in the country, was the first to install these automatic controls, that allow travellers to verify their passport and identity without the need for an operator.
CLEAR, the company tasked to implement these electronic gates, said that the World Cup 2026 was one of the main reasons for the need to install these type of gates, that will extend to other airports in the country, starting with the international airports in Washington DC and Seattle, as reported by EFE.
These types of doors, however, raise some privacy concerns as they collect personal information including name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, photograph, and biometric data from facial scanning or fingerprints, which go through a private company, Clear.
United States anticipate a big surge in visitors for the World Cup (co-hosted by the US alongside Mexico and Canada), but also for the celebrations of the 250 years from the country's foundation as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. The football competition and the next Olympic Games will take place during Donald Trump's administration, with concerns about the strict immigration policies, with fears that even athletes from some countries may not be allowed to enter with the current policies.