Facial recognition to board a plane: How does it work, and what are the privacy concerns?

Air Canada has launched facial recognition technology at the gate for people flying out of Vancouver International Airport - with the promise of a faster boarding process with fewer hassles.

The optional program on most domestic flights is based in the Air Canada app. Travellers can register for a “digital profile” by capturing an image of their passport with their phone, and then by scanning their face. It can be done before leaving the house for their flight.

Once at the gate, there is no need to hand over a boarding pass or physical identification.

Air Canada is the first Canadian airline introducing the technology at the gate, and reaction was mixed from travellers at YVR who spoke to CTV News Tuesday.

“It would be nice I guess, everybody likes to get through quick and painless right?” said Angelika Damert, on her way to Finland. Some fliers, like Tanya Leeder who was heading to Ontario, are more skeptical.

“It would probably make it easier but I don’t know I’d be comfortable with it to be honest,” she said.

Privacy concerns are an elephant in the room when it comes to facial recognition technology, according to tech analyst Carmi Levy. “As we’ve seen many times before with facial recognition, we give something up for that convenience, and that something is our privacy.”

Air Canada says a customer’s digital profile is encrypted and only stored on their device. It is then deleted within 36 hours.

“I’ll give the company credit for putting a time limit on how long they hold onto that facial image before getting rid of it,” said Levy.

“But, you can do a lot with data in 36 hours, and that is not the only data they’re collecting. We have to do it with their app which stays on your phone. That app is collecting your information as well and that doesn’t stop after the 36 hours is up.”

Security has been a chief consideration in the system’s design, according to Air Canada Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mel Crocker.

“Facial biometrics or other personal information provided by customers for the digital ID system is not used for any other purpose,” Crocker said in a video statement.

The technology is already being used by a number of U.S. airlines and overseas. Air Canada says it plans to unveil it at Canadian airports in addition to YVR in the near future.