Milan Linate Airport (LIN) was ordered to suspend biometric services that use facial recognition at border control gates following a decision by the Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDP) that claimed the technology compromised privacy.
The voluntary service introduced by SEA Milan Airports allowed travellers to register through a kiosk or an app and pass through security checks and boarding with a face scan, according to Biometric Update.
SEA claimed that the biometric templates were stored exclusively on travellers’ smartphones, however, allegedly it was discovered that the templates were being stored in the company’s own centralised system without encryption measures.
In a statement, the GPDP clarified that facial recognition technology was permitted at the airport, provided the airport used technological solutions other than the one adopted by SEA, and were compliant with current European regulations.
