No Smiling Please

New Zealand is bowing down to US demands for the introduction of biometric passports, in order keep the current visa waiver dispensation kiwis have when travelling to the 'Home of the Free'. A bunch of mostly Western countries have been told to start using biometric systems with their passports to make it harder for counterfeiters to ply their trade, and, presumably, as another step in countering potential terrorist infiltration into the USA.

Canada's already got the system in place, and Australia aren't far away. The Canadians have banned smiling in their passport photos as a result of the new system, as it mucks up the ability for the 'face readers' to correctly identify the person being scanned.

All very well in theory - I just don't like the idea of being quite specifically 'pinged' by the Man when moving around the world. Which is also why I don't own a cellphone.
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