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DATA issue 7

The new face of travel

You're about to head overseas on business. You've been briefed on the people you're going to meet, you're on top of the business issues and if all goes well you might be able to squeeze in some sightseeing. Of course you'll be taking your mobile phone and your laptop to stay in touch with the office (and the family). So, that's it, isn't it?

Well, no. Australians travelling abroad are now operating in a more security conscious environment. As Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, recently stated this has brought with it 'a greater burden to travellers and the travel industry alike in the form of (increased) security measures'.

Taking care of your personal security while travelling isn't a new game, but there are now increasingly sophisticated ways to play it, thanks to ICT innovations. Many of these are making the security process faster as well as more efficient.

When you receive your tickets and itinerary, chances are your travel agent will also give you the Australian Government's most recent travel advice on your planned destination. As part of the new Charter for Safe Travel, this advice is sent via an email alert service to 4600 travel agents around the country. Otherwise, you may be given information on how to obtain safe travel advice from the Australian Government via the frequently updated travel advisories on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) website-www.dfat.gov.au.

If you're leaving the country from Sydney airport you'll be able to use the touch-screen kiosks to check for any last minute updates to travel advice before you get on the plane. These kiosks will soon be available more widely in passport offices and airports around the country. The Consular Division of DFAT is also exploring the possibility of SMS updates to travel advisories for registered travellers already overseas.

Passenger processing is already being streamlined with information technology, and more changes are on the way for passports and border control, here in Australia. Australian Customs is responsible for the movement of passengers across the Australian border and has developed an automated border control system that allows for fast and efficient passenger processing.

At Sydney airport the SmartGate system, which uses face-recognition (biometric) technology, is being tested. Customs has been developing the SmartGate system for over two years, drawing on testing and research from Passports Australia in DFAT. Presently it is being trialled by Qantas international crew and has been in operation since last November. SmartGate verifies that a passport holder's stored image matches the individual presenting the documentation at the Australian border. SmartGate is fast-it performs the face match and all other border clearance processes in less than 10 seconds.

So far the system has made more than 40,000 transactions with an extremely low error rate. Only between one and two per cent of crewmembers have been referred to a Customs officer for manual processing because they did not meet SmartGate's high threshold. The system will refer to a Customs officer if it is not satisfied with a crewmember's identity or their immigration status. It is also highly accurate and consistent across a range of variables including ageing, ethnicity and changes in facial appearance (glasses/no glasses, facial hair/no facial hair). As well as providing accurate checks against fraudulent travel documents, the SmartGate system has the potential to free Customs officers from routine passport checks and allow them to focus on higher risk groups. Already the system frees officers from processing 750-1000 aircrew per week.

Smartgate is the first face-recognition system for automated border crossing to operate on a large scale and results of the trial are helping to inform the international community about the potential of this technology for border control.

Passports Australia is planning to introduce biometric technology to all Australian passports by late 2004, with the inclusion of a biometric identifier and is working closely with Customs to identify how this technology can complement the SmartGate system. The passport initiative and SmartGate's future expansion are both subject to government approval and funding, they are likely to be considered in the next Commonwealth budget in May 2004.

Once accepted more widely, the biometric technology could actually streamline travel by eliminating the need for visas in some countries. A biometric identifier would also reduce the risk that your passport, if lost or stolen, could be used for illegal purposes. Like terrorism, identity fraud is a worldwide problem. Biometrics systems, like SmartGate, can help to detect this sort of activity, at least at border control points. However, keeping your passport safe in the first place is still the best way to protect yourself and your identity.

For more information on travel advisories go to: www.smartraveller.gov.au/.

To find out more about SmartGate: email smartgate@customs.gov.au or go to www.customs.gov.au

• Document ID: 13094 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 6:31pm