this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2024

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Passport-less clearance fully available at Changi Airport, average clearance time of 10 seconds: ICA (www.straitstimes.com)

submitted 6 days ago by moe90@feddit.nl to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 54 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I mean, the tech is cool, but has terrifying implications.

[–] pycorax@lemmy.world 44 points 6 days ago

Eh this is nothing new since the biometrics portion has been part of the process for a few years. The only new part is that now you can skip the passport. The terrifying portion had already arrived many years ago unfortunately.

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 30 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Singapore, or as William Gibson called it, Disneyland With The Death Penalty.

[–] AceBonobo@lemmy.world 17 points 6 days ago

Isn't that just Disney Land?

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 30 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Holy fuck, hard pass.

[–] Meltrax@lemmy.world 14 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Have you flown international lately? This is what it looks like to land in the international terminal in most major US airports as well.

[+] Telodzrum@lemmy.world -12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Have you? I travel a lot for both business and leisure. I’ve never been through anything like this. Maybe I’m just visiting more civilized places.

[–] Meltrax@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I flew into Boston from Europe three weeks ago.

I also flew into NYC from Europe earlier this year.

They use images of your face and biometrics. This is how travel works. It has nothing to do with how civilized you think you are.

[–] Waffle@infosec.pub 2 points 5 days ago

Same, recently traveled from the US to Paris and they used a facial scanner. Also used one upon my return to the US and I have Global Entry.

[–] moe90@feddit.nl 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah, biometric identification will be de-facto standard for travelling in the future and we cannot avoid it unless we want to stop travelling.

[+] moe90@feddit.nl -30 points 6 days ago (5 children)

then you don't need to come to Singapore. their country their rules

[–] Yingwu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I really dislike this argument. Just because it's "their country, their rules" doesn't not make it an issue? Especially when it comes to privacy concerns. Privacy concerns are universal. There are a plethora of serious issues that are not defended by "national sovereignty". If that was the case we should just turn a blind eye to North Korea, right?

[–] slickgoat@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Unfortunately this has always been the case with other country's rules. I'm not a fan of US gun culture, but I'm not American, so I don't get a vote.

Nobody is forcing you to visit either Singapore or North Korea.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I mean, North Koreans did kidnap people from abroad, so technically...

[–] slickgoat@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

True. But if that happened to you involuntary data violations would be the least of your problems.

[–] moe90@feddit.nl 5 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I think this kind of biometric immigration verification will come to many countries eventually. Like UK, Japan and USA already tested this kind of procedure and Singapore is just one step ahead with this full implementation. So, we just can't avoid it. If this kind of verification concerns you a lot just don't travel abroad.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Singapore isn't one step ahead, it's full-on surveillance state.

The implications here are that if you go through this process, then these biometrics will bought and sold throughout the world. You'll be tracked absolutely everywhere.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

biometrics will bought and sold throughout the world. You'll be tracked absolutely everywhere.

But it is the same if you have a regular (non-anonymous) social media account.

[–] ISOmorph@feddit.org 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Social media is a privacy concern as well, but this is clearly on another level. I don't save my biometric data on twitter. I don't need facebook to live a full life. And as you said, there are anonymous alternatives. There aren't when you travel. And living without travelling at least a little bit is kind of sad. So the comparison doesn't fit.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world -5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

this is clearly on another level.

No. It is just other people who are using your data.

I don't save my biometric data on twitter.

You seem to have no idea what everybody is doing with all the data that you have posted.

[–] ISOmorph@feddit.org 6 points 6 days ago

If you think Musk has your fingerprints because you tweeted about the last restaurant you ate, we clearly have no common sense of reality and should leave the discussion at that

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 5 points 6 days ago

You can choose not to use social media... the choice is way harder for avoiding plane travel unless you can afford the time and money to use other means, which most people don't.

[–] Yingwu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago

Yeah it's for sure an issue in the rest of the world too. Not discounting that

[–] porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago

It is the standard means of passport control in Europe and UK, just with the passport added, but all by machine. Once they are convinced the biometrics are good enough they'll do this too to speed things up.

[–] thejml@lemm.ee 11 points 6 days ago (2 children)

At the moment it sounds optional, so that’s a plus.

Also:

The previous average clearance time for each traveller was 25 seconds, said ICA.

So, 15s saved per person. Which is handy, but 25 seconds fits squarely in the “blazing fast” category anyway.

Bet the people will spend more than 15s per person dealing with the ramifications of their biometric data getting leaked and used against them later though.

[–] porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Agreed with the privacy concerns but

So, 15s saved per person. Which is handy, but 25 seconds fits squarely in the “blazing fast” category anyway.

This is huge when there are five 787s worth of people in line for ten passport control machines, it's the difference between waiting half an hour in line or five minutes.

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

This is huge when there are five 787s worth of people in line for ten passport control machines

Perhaps more passport control instead of more invasiveness?

[–] porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago

Sure, I agree

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

you know, half an hour is really not that much. I would easily choose that

[–] moe90@feddit.nl -4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I was there on transit hall couple of months ago and on the arrival hall everything is paperless already and all the paperwork can be done via phone or tablet. EDIT: as long as your device have a proper modern web browser. everything can be done easily.

[–] thejml@lemm.ee 11 points 6 days ago

Paperless doesn’t necessarily require biometric data… still, I’ll just skip Singapore.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

So you're just giving up any personal freedom to save some time. If you're cool with that, alright. Some people aren't though.

None of this tech is 100% accurate either. You could be passing through and get inferences that peg you as an international drug lord that ends up in prison or worse.

[–] moe90@feddit.nl -3 points 6 days ago

I am not said I am fine with it. But, if you don't want to comply with their requirement. you can't enter their country and I am sure this kind of paperless and biometric immigration check will come to many countries (UK, USA, Japan, Canada already tested it) and it is inevitable. the only workaround atm is just don't travel abroad.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

I mean, yeah I don't need to go to Singapore.

[–] mariusafa@lemmy.sdf.org 17 points 6 days ago

Hell no. I want passport, no biometric facial recognition.

[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 3 points 5 days ago

Don't blink! No smile! No hats! Place your fingers on the scanner!