http://news.com.com/U.S.+moves+closer+to+e-passports/2100-1012_3-5425314.html?tag=nl
Passports
Alorie Gilbert
"The United States is moving forward with a plan to issue new high-tech passports this year that incorporate facial recognition technology--despite privacy concerns and possible technical problems.
'E-passports'--also dubbed 'smart passports'--promise to deter passport theft and forgeries, as well as speed up immigration checks at airports and borders. Dozens of countries are adopting them at the behest of the U.S. government, which has been on a mission to beef up border controls since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The United States will also soon begin guarding its borders using the same technology. The State Department recently asked four technology companies to draw up proposals for introducing e-passports to the public. The agency plans to select one of them and begin issuing the new passports to government officials by the end of the year. "
