Access Control
& Security Systems

A senior Foreign Ministry official in Japan has confirmed the country plans to implement a program to issue passports using biometric technology.

The technology, scheduled for introduction over a three-year period, would provide a defense against counterfeiting and other illegal use of passports. The official did not indicate whether the country would use fingerprint, palm print, voice or iris biometrics.

Since the U.S. enacted a law in May under which it would not issue visa waivers without identity-confirming documentation, many countries are working to enact similar identification systems. The Malaysian government has already introduced passports with thumbprint data, and the Group of Eight (G-8) major countries are collaborating on setting a common standard for identification documents.

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