Voiceprint Reporting – New Authentication Method for Border Control

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Biometric voiceprint technology will be applied in border security in Canada. In an effort to keep fewer people in immigration detention while upholding public safety and national security, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is rolling out a voice reporting system that uses biometric voiceprint technology as one of the new elements to its “Alternatives to Detention” program. Other elements to the program include in-community tailored case management services and electronic monitoring.

The voice reporting system will use the voiceprint technology to enable as many as 10,000 individuals to report to the CBSA at agreed-upon intervals, using either cellphones or landlines.

According to globalnews.com, the new tool will help officials to keep track of people even if they are not being held in a government facility. That will allow people who don’t pose a safety or security risk to move about freely while also ensuring they don’t disappear off the government’s radar.

This option enhances compliance by providing more equitable treatment for people in remote locations or for those who would need to travel long distances to fulfill CBSA reporting requirements.

The voice reporting system includes dynamic features including on demand calling schedules and real time call-in features to increase the efficacy of the technology, according to biometricupdate.com.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said they believe that there are effective ways to manage borders and guarantee security without resorting to the detention of people who are seeking safety in Canada.