Photo by © ANN via
The Star
Vocabulary:
- encrypt /en-KRIPT/
[verb] to change electronic information or signals into a secret code
All bank-issued cards must be encrypted for security purposes.
- authenticate /aw-THEN-ti-keyt/
[verb] to prove that something is real, true, or what people say it is
We have to authenticate first the data before disclosing to the public.
- embarkation /em-bahr-KEY-shuhn/
[noun] the act, process, or an instance of going on a ship or an aircraft
We have to expedite the process of embarkation for the customers’ convenience.
- misidentification /mis-ahy-DEN-tuh-fahy-key-shun/
[noun] the act of recognizing and naming someone or something incorrectly
We have to ensure efficiency in our data processing to avoid misidentification.
- fortify /FAWR-tuh-fahy/
[verb] to strengthen something, esp. in order to protect it
We have to fortify the existing barricades against strong typhoon.
Japan will begin to use facial recognition technology for departing foreign visitors from fiscal 2019. The new system will be available at Haneda airport in Tokyo before being transferred to other big airports including Chiba, Osaka, Fukuoka, Aichi, Hokkaido, and Okinawa prefectures. Travelers place their passports to an electronic device and stand close to a camera in the immigration counters for facial scanning. The system then confirms if the passport photo encrypted on microchips matches the picture taken at the counter. The screening takes about 15 seconds and once the system authenticates the match, the gate opens automatically. An official at the Immigration Services Agency hopes that the new embarkation process will make customs procedures easier for foreigners and will allow immigration staff to do more duties. Moreover, a senior ministry official assured that there would be no cases of misidentification in using the new technology.
Japanese nationals have been using facial screening technology in some airports of the country since 2007. It is just this year when the immigration authorities decided to apply the same system to departing foreign travelers to improve security. The ministry hopes that the system will fortify anti-terrorism measures in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. According to Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign visitors reached 31.19 million in 2018 and is seeking to achieve 40 million by 2020.
True or False:
- Japan plans to use facial recognition system in 2020.
- The new system will be available first at Narita airport in Tokyo.
- An official at the Immigration Services Agency hopes that the new system will ease airport processes.
- Japanese have been using the technology since 2017.
- The system will strengthen anti-terrorism measures in preparation for Tokyo 2021.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your opinion on the new facial recognition system?
- Do you think the new technology will make departure processes easier? Why or why not?
- In your own opinion, what are the disadvantages of the facial recognition system?
- How do you think technologies affect humans’ way of living?
- Do you think robots will cause unemployment in the future? Why or why not?
Express Your Opinion:
- “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke
- “Robots will harvest, cook, and serve our food. They will work in our factories, drive our cars, and walk our dogs. Like it or not, the age of work is coming to an end.” – Gray Scott
- “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.” – Aldous Huxley
[verb] to change electronic information or signals into a secret code
All bank-issued cards must be encrypted for security purposes.
[verb] to prove that something is real, true, or what people say it is
We have to authenticate first the data before disclosing to the public.
[noun] the act, process, or an instance of going on a ship or an aircraft
We have to expedite the process of embarkation for the customers’ convenience.
[noun] the act of recognizing and naming someone or something incorrectly
We have to ensure efficiency in our data processing to avoid misidentification.
[verb] to strengthen something, esp. in order to protect it
We have to fortify the existing barricades against strong typhoon.
Japanese nationals have been using facial screening technology in some airports of the country since 2007. It is just this year when the immigration authorities decided to apply the same system to departing foreign travelers to improve security. The ministry hopes that the system will fortify anti-terrorism measures in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. According to Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign visitors reached 31.19 million in 2018 and is seeking to achieve 40 million by 2020.