This is going to be a problem for trans people exiting the country too. When I got to Britain a few days ago, my passport was scanned by a machine and matched with video of my face inside the booth with the machine. I have a feeling that the machines will have issues if the passport photo shows them presenting as a different gender.
I get that they check the photo, I’m saying that if they’re not going to allow you to express your real gender in a passport, they’re almost certainly not going to allow you to express it in your passport photo.
presumably with a bunch of failsafes and a tolerance threshold for acceptability. Something like facial hair, makeup, glasses, haircut won’t even blip it.
This is going to be a problem for trans people exiting the country too. When I got to Britain a few days ago, my passport was scanned by a machine and matched with video of my face inside the booth with the machine. I have a feeling that the machines will have issues if the passport photo shows them presenting as a different gender.
Glad you made it, squid! I can tell you there’s nothing to fear with those eGates, as they check the photo, not your gender.
Regardless, it seems like you got out at the right time.
I get that they check the photo, I’m saying that if they’re not going to allow you to express your real gender in a passport, they’re almost certainly not going to allow you to express it in your passport photo.
The scanners check around ~100 data points like
Distance between the eyes
Width of the nose
Depth of the eye sockets
Shape of the cheekbones
Length of the jaw line
presumably with a bunch of failsafes and a tolerance threshold for acceptability. Something like facial hair, makeup, glasses, haircut won’t even blip it.
Good to know, thanks!