The Transportation Security Administration has deployed a facial recognition system at a handful of U.S. airports. The purpose: to make sure your face matches the one on the ID you must already submit to get on a plane.
As with anything related to the highly problematic TSA, the prospect of a government security agency building a biometric database raises all sorts of questions.
Let's dispose of one immediately: passengers are not required to use the TSA facial recognition systems (good luck with that). The program does not keep your face on file forever )with notable exceptions). And yes, the TSA wants to roll facial recognition out nationwide.
Unless and until that happens, what are your rights when it comes to the scanners? The Post's Geoffrey Fowler writes:
“None of this facial recognition technology is mandated,” said [TSA representative Jason] Lim. “Those who do not feel comfortable will still have to present their ID — but they can tell the officer that they do not want their photo taken, and the officer will turn off the live camera.” There are also supposed to be signs around informing you of your rights.
…
“What we often see with these biometric programs is they are only optional in the introductory phases — and over time we see them becoming standardized and nationalized and eventually compulsory,” said [Surveillance Technology Oversight Project founder Albert Fox] Cahn. “There is no place more coercive to ask people for their consent than an airport.”
Even people who care a lot about privacy often find their limits when it comes to airline travel. People gravitate to options that help them get through the airport faster — and it's not hard to imagine ending up with a bifurcated airport experience, said Cahn.
Those who have the privilege of not having to worry their face will be misread can zip right through — whereas people who don't consent to it pay a tax with their time. At that point, how voluntary is it, really?
And that really is the point. Air travel is already a collection of compromises that generally make the entire experience degrading and demoralizing. Now, the TSA wants to make it worse. Better to abolish the agency, farm out its responsibilities to airports and airlines, and let people fly to their destinations with a modicum of dignity.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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You are months behind the times. This has been going on with US cruise ports all year. We’ve sailed 4 times this year and facial rec was used by TSA when we re-entered the USA every time.
This happened to us at the Phoenix airport immigration enforcement. The agent didn’t even look at our passports, so one can only infer the database already exists.
I very much doubt we could have opted out since it wasn’t TSA. There were no privacy signs if any kind posted and there were “Secondary screening rooms” & additional agents for anything that arose.
What do you think would have happened if we had challenged? It was creepy, indeed.
Btw, traveling out of country 13 months ago this procedure was not in place.
Very scary since system can get hacked & your data is worldwide worse than other methods
Very 666
They can scan my sit down face crack and all. I won’t shave for them
First step to total government control
In direct, perhaps blunt language, Plain English, Devil Take TSA.
So the system is effectively a national ID card. Thought we had done away with that idea decades ago.