Posted by the TravelPulse, on 03 July 2023

Based on the success and early results of its pilot program, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to roll out facial recognition at security checkpoints in 400 more airports in the coming years, Fast Company reported. 

It’s a controversial program, to be sure.

Opponents of the program have long said it’s a violation of personal freedoms, and they also say that the TSA is improperly coercing people to participate.

The pilot program is currently in effect at 25 airports across the country, with a 97 percent success rate, according to the TSA.

Advocates say it adds another level of airport security. 

“TSA doing its own testing and not releasing the results publicly calls into question the quality of the testing and veracity of the results,” says Jeramie Scott, a senior counsel and director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s surveillance oversight program. “Given there are over 2 million airline passengers a day, a 97 percent effective rate means there would be over 60,000 people a day the tech doesn’t work on if fully implemented. Regardless of the results though, TSA should not be implementing the use of facial recognition. TSA’s claims of protecting privacy and the voluntariness of the program mean very little when the agency can change on a whim how the program is implemented.”

To read the full report, visit the following link.