SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Seattle city in the U.S. state of Washington decided Tuesday to reject the installation of facial recognition cameras at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA-TAC), making it the first U.S. airport to block biometric identification technology, a local newspaper reported.
A five-member commission of the Port of Seattle, which oversees SEA-TAC, struck down a plan by the U.S. airlines Delta to install facial recognition monitoring cameras at its SEA-TAC boarding gates by the end of this year, the Seattle Times daily said.
The Port of Seattle Commission unanimously approved a moratorium on the introduction of the technology at SEA-TAC after hours of "impassioned public comment Tuesday," it added, saying many people complained facial recognition technology is "intrusive and dangerous."
Delta had planned to become the first American air carrier to adopt the new facial recognition technology to confirm international travelers' identities at its SEA-TAC gates in late December 2019.
Delta has installed facial-recognition cameras in six airports in the country, and insisted that the technology aimed to deliver better customer service "by eliminating the need to juggle luggage, passports and boarding passes."
