"Even then, current systems can only rationally be used as an aid or indicator for a human checker, so if there isn't one of these present it's not likely to be used. Where there is likely to be a human checker present, it will still be feasible for people carrying copied passports to pass by provided they look approximately like the picture in the passport (i.e., just the same as the good old days), because the chip in the passport will validate in the reader. Note also that the mere presence of the reader, the chip and the general ePassport security pixie dust will - no matter what the circulars say - have a psychological effect on border control staff. They will tend, because the machine says the passport's clean, to drop their guard, not really inspect either picture or bearer properly."