The TSA Is Testing Facial Recognition Technology to Help Streamline Airport Security
In an effort to enhance and streamline airport security, the TSA has been quietly rolling out a facial recognition technology pilot program at airports across the country.
Instead of handing an ID card or passport to a TSA officer who manually makes sure it matches your likeness, a machine will now instead scan your identification while you look into a camera on a screen about the size of an iPad and have your photo taken. A TSA officer is still on hand to facilitate and sign off on the process—and for now, give travelers an opt-out—but all of the heavy lifting is done by the machine.
Currently, the TSA has rolled out these upgraded Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) machines across 16 airports in Arlington, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and San Jose, as well as Gulfport-Biloxi and Jackson in Mississippi. However, the program could go nationwide as soon as the end of this year.
During a recent demonstration of the technology at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, identity management capabilities manager Jason Lim told reporters: “What we are trying to do with this is aid the officers to actually determine that you are who you say who you are."
Be that as it may, the technology is not without possible complications. In February, five U.S. Senators including Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) penned a letter to the TSA expressing concerns about biometric surveillance, arguing that it "represents a risk to civil liberties and privacy rights."
"While TSA claims that facial identification scans are not mandatory, it is unclear how travelers will know that they can 'opt-out,' and what the consequences for travelers are if they choose to opt-out," the letter stated, adding that for the process to be truly optional, passengers must be clearly informed of their rights.
The TSA claims that the photos are deleted immediately (though in some limited circumstances, data is collected and shared with the Department of Homeland Security). However, the letter also notes the possibility of the biometric data finding its way into the hands of "authorized private corporations or unauthorized bad actors," citing a 2019 DHS breach.
Another worrying factor is that the facial recognition technology could exacerbate racial discrimination, with the letter noting that Black and Asian minorities are up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified than white individuals.
Are the potential risks worth speeding up airport security? The TSA seems to think so, and currently has no plans to limit its use of facial recognition.
