Google has announced a new partnership with the Transportation Security Administration that introduces a touchless ID for getting through airport security. According to the report, the feature is designed to let travellers move through a security line using a TSA facial comparison rather than handing over a physical identity document, in what is presented as a step towards a faster and more automated screening process for passengers.
The way the system works is built around a single image taken at the line. According to the report, a computer takes a picture of the traveller's face as they walk into the line, and they then continue straight to the screening checkpoint, never having to pull out a boarding pass or an ID, which the report says makes the process go a lot faster than the current routine.
The capability had been more limited before this announcement. According to the report, until now the option had only been available on a couple of airlines, where a passenger would give their passport to United, Delta or Southwest, load it into the airline's app and then become eligible to use the faster lane at the checkpoint, restricting who could take advantage of it.
The partnership widens access through a phone-based wallet. According to the report, travellers who have a Google Wallet on an Android phone can now load their passport into it and then connect it to their airline account, so that when they show up at the airport all they have to do is walk up to the camera, have their picture taken and be cleared to get on their flight.
The report also draws a comparison with a similar move by a rival company. According to the report, last year Apple introduced a comparable digital ID function that lets a user load an identity document onto their phone and use it as a driver's license or government issued ID at the checkpoint, although it does not yet allow simply for the photo to be taken in the same way.
For passengers outside that ecosystem, other paths remain open. According to the report, travellers who do not have an Android device or a Google Wallet can still load their information with most of the major United States airlines, and the touchless option is now available in roughly 65 airports, a footprint that the report says can be expected to grow in the coming months and years.