Canada readies ePassport launch
14 September, 2011
category: Biometrics, Contactless, Government
Passport Canada CEO Christine Desloges has announced that Canada will start issuing e-passports by the end of next year, according to Citytv.com.
Speaking at a conference at the Montreal HQ of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, Desloges declared, “Canada is on track for the full-scale delivery of its e-passport. Next year we will roll out the full issuance.”
In the works since 2004, the e-passports have been delayed due to an overhaul of the passport application process, according to a spokesperson for Passport Canada.
According to Citytv.com, the new passports will feature a chip containing the owner’s face-recognition data in order to make it easier for border guards to screen threats and detect fraudulent passports.
Canada will now join the rest of the G8 nations in issuing e-passports, along with nearly 100 other countries around the world.
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