EU Funding and Export of AI Systems Could Fuel Human Rights Violations in West Asia
(The Canary, Mar 17, 2026)
EU-backed funding and export of high-risk AI, including facial recognition and other biometric surveillance capabilities, is being linked to expanded monitoring, control, and repression capacities in Palestine and across West Asia and North Africa. The report argues that without transparency, independent oversight, and human-rights due diligence, European research and defense/investment mechanisms can indirectly enable biometric-led mass surveillance and rights violations.
Australian Privacy Regulator Warns Platforms Not to Store Biometric Data for Age Checks
(MLex, Mar 17, 2026)
Australia’s privacy regulator is urging platforms implementing age assurance to minimize biometric collection and avoid storing biometric identifiers (e.g., facial templates) beyond what is strictly necessary to complete an age check. Clear consent, strong safeguards, and retention minimization are framed as essential so age-check biometric workflows don’t become persistent identity databases.
EU’s New Biometric Border Control to Cause Chaos for Australian Travelers: What You Need to Know Before April 10
(Travel And Tour World, Mar 18, 2026)
Australia-based travelers entering the Schengen Area will be enrolled in the EU’s Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps with biometric capture (facial image + fingerprints) and logs entry/exit records digitally. Initial crossings are expected to take longer due to first-time biometric enrollment at kiosks and staffed checkpoints, while subsequent trips use the stored biometrics for faster identity verification—driving concerns about queues and disruption around the full implementation milestone the article cites.
Manchester Airport Deploys Amadeus Biometrics to Enable Seamless Domestic and International Passenger Flows
(Future Travel Experience, Mar 17, 2026)
Manchester Airport introduced Amadeus “biometric identity reconciliation” in Terminal 2 to let domestic and international passengers share the same infrastructure while maintaining border-compliance controls. The airport reports achieving ~99% automated passenger reconciliation through digital orchestration, reducing the need for repetitive manual checks and improving throughput as passenger volumes rise.
GBC Ghana Online
(GBC Ghana Online, Mar 17, 2026)
Ghana will add a liveness test and facial recognition step to SIM re-registration to reduce fraudulent enrollments allegedly linked to illegitimate Ghana Card credentials. The Minister said face-based verification is intended to prevent the use of photocopied or fake IDs, alongside a broader push to modernize registration processes (including eSIM migration).
