US CPB One asylum app fails to register Black people

The US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) One asylum app was found not to be registering individuals with darker skin tones, particularly Black people. 

Introduced in secrecy in 2023, CPB One is designed to help asylum seekers schedule appointments. 

However, the app's facial recognition technology struggled to accurately identify and process images of people with darker skin tones, resulting in many Black asylum seekers, particularly Haitians and Africans, being unable to complete their applications and being denied access, notably at the US-Mexico border.

Non-profits working at the Mexican border, the app created barriers for others, especially those who are most vulnerable and who may not have smartphones. Some asylum seekers were forced to buy brand-new cell phones, which they find hard to afford.

The issue raised concerns about racial bias in the app's design and the potential for discriminatory treatment of asylum seekers.