Building on U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) efforts to improve Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing of international travelers at ports of entry, a $749,900 Phase 5 award was issued to iProov Limited this week.
iProov Limited is a London-based startup working on what’s known as Genuine Presence Assurance Technology – a means of remote traveler verification. Previously, the company completed the first four phases of enhancement to its technology, working to integrate a mobile capability to allow travelers to submit data to CBP as its facilitates their processing. Critically, iProov’s system guarantees the remote user is a real person being authenticated, not a bait and switch.
“We’re constantly looking to elevate DHS tools by incorporating innovative technologies into our existing infrastructure,” said Melissa Oh, managing director of the Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). “The capabilities resulting from iProov’s Phase 5 award will optimize the U.S. entry process and support CBP in providing a superior experience for international travelers.”
SVIP, an S&T program, solicited novel approaches to the issue of international traveler processing earlier.
If successful, iProove’s enhancements could allow CBP to automate more of its needs for screening, reducing the administrative burden on its frontline personnel and freeing them up for other tasks. In theory, this could also improve efficiency for traveler processing. CBP will operationally test the capability of the technology, though iProov will use this phase to broaden the tool’s applications.