I've flown twice this week and fly pretty much monthly to the USA. This was happening 2 years ago. Some sketchy plain clothes guy holding an iPhone as I board the plane with a badge that says FBI has taken my picture a few times. But lately there are small iPad type things next to the boarding counter coming back to Canada. You simply look at it and it verifies you.
Also... Our Canadian passports have our picture digitally embedded in chip that they read at the border to verify your identity. Better believe that is copied and stored along with your biometrics