Face-Recognition Rollout Planned Amid Skepticism on Racial Bias

Facial recognition software that showed statistically undetectable bias against women and people of color in a recent government study will be put in place soon in systems used on travelers at airports and entry into the U.S., a top official from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection told lawmakers Thursday.

“We’re using a high performing vendor,” John Wagner, deputy executive assistant commissioner for the border agency’s Office of Field Operations, said at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Still, the move didn’t reassure many Democrats, who said they were still worried about racial and gender bias in the technology, as ...