Stats: 31% Don’t Trust Facial Recognition Technology

With airlines and airports increasingly rolling out facial recognition technology to reduce airport wait times, PCMag has released a new survey on how people feel about the new technology. The magazine polled 2,000 people to get their thoughts on facial recognition. 

According to the report, 28 percent of respondents support using facial-recognition technology in air travel to shorten airport wait times and line length by speeding up the check-in process. At the same time, 31 percent of respondents said that they don’t trust the technology at all. 

In terms of other, non-travel uses, just over a quarter of those polled said that facial recognition technology is acceptable to use for access to mobile devices, while 25 percent said that it should be used for healthcare needs. The most popular use, the detection and prevention of crime, drew support from 37 percent of respondents, while only 19 percent wanted to use it for paying bills and making purchases online. 

Airlines are increasingly turning to facial recognition technology to speed up airport operations, particularly security lines. Last year Delta began rolling out what it billed as the first “biometric terminal” in the United States at Terminal F in its busy Atlanta hub airport, allowing guests flying direct to an international destination the option to use facial recognition technology from curb to gate, including during check in at self-service lobby kiosks; at lobby counters where customers can drop checked bags; at TSA checkpoints; and when boarding a flight departing any gate at Terminal F. 

Last year the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also began a public-private partnership to increase the application of biometric technology in general in the travel process. 

Related Stories

Stats: Millennials Lead the Way in Popularity of Micro-trips

Stats: The Best and Worst Airports for Summer Flight Delays

Stats: "Micro Trips" on Trend This Summer

Stats: U.S., Italy Lead World in Instagram Travel Influencers