The Ups and Downs of Passport-less Travel

Australia’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade wants to take biometrics to the next level with cloud-based virtual passports. Sparked by a call for out-of-box solutions to support the country’s international development aid program, the notion of a “cloud passport” is being endorsed by Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, who’s championing efforts to prepare a trial run of the technology. Any such ground-breaking idea with the potential to change global travel, however, is not without a list of pros and cons.

Cloud Passports

Cloud passports are essentially an extension of the Australian ePassport and SmartGate system, which automates border passage using chip-embedded physical passports and digital scanners. With the proposed cloud passports, travelers can leave their paper documentation at home, eliminating the risk of loss or theft of a physical passport. The passport chip is virtual—personal information (e.g. date of birth) as well as biometric data (e.g. fingerprints) and a digital photo are stored online and accessed by customs officials using cloud technology.

The Ups

Ripe with promise, the cloud passport is one of DigitalTrends.com’s 9 Travel Tech Trends That Will Make 2016 A Great Year To Get Out Of Town. After all, the digitization of traditional paper-based processes is all the rage. If a cloud-based passport simplifies international travel for the emerging digital generation, in particular, it’s full-speed-ahead. Eliminating the need to carry a physical passport that can be lost or stolen—and facilitating a faster trip through customs—goes far to streamline the travel experience.

The Downs

Security is of paramount importance in today’s world, especially in the context of crossing international borders. The cloud passport has yet to prove it’s “ready” to stand up against widespread Australian (let alone worldwide) concerns about privacy, trust, and risk management. (For more insights, read Passports In The Cloud? What Could Possibly Go Wrong? on ZDNet.com.) Security requirements notwithstanding, implementing a new passport system based on cloud-based technology (again, with global ramifications) is no small task for governments, airports, and travelers.

With so much on either side of the balance, the success or failure of cloud passports on any scale is anyone’s guess. But innovating with new technology—and potentially shifting a process on its head—inspires trendsetters to keep searching for new solutions for what could become “what’s next.” We’ll stay tuned to see if and when cloud passports take off in Australia, and where else cloud technology can impact the travel industry.