Twenty-five gates at Philadelphia International Airport will soon have facial scanners installed, a new security feature for international passengers, writes Brian Saunders for Philly Voice.

Facial biometric technology is being installed in Terminal A East and A West to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection verify identities of passengers flying overseas.

The scanners will take live photos of travelers, then compare them to government-issued passport or visa photos. Once an identity is verified, the photos are discarded within 12 hours.

Early January saw 10 gates add the scanners. Another 10 gates will have the technology later this month and February and the last five gates will be upgraded by April.

TSA will collect scans of all travelers exiting the U.S.

Security is a top priority at the airport, said Chief Operating Officer Keith Brune.

“This system will make the screening process more efficient for everyone and is especially important as international travel continues to grow post-pandemic,” Brune said.

Customers that don’t want to participate can get a manual document check instead of a face scan.

The technology will not be used for law enforcement, officials said.

Read more about the new facial recognition scanners at PHL in the Philly Voice.

A demonstration of the new facial scanners at Philadelphia International Airport.