How to Opt-Out of TSA’s Facial Recognition ID Check
Credit: Timon / Adobe Stock
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The TSA is currently testing facial recognition technology at 16 airports across the United States in an effort to aid TSA screening personnel and increase security and efficiency.
The TSA checks about 2.4 million passengers each day. The technology is straightforward, but the privacy concerns and potential threat to civil liberties are more complex.
According to the Associated Press, travelers insert their driver’s license into a slot that reads the card or press their passport against a card reader. They then look at an iPad-sized screen that compares their image to their ID. If the system confirms a match and also confirms the identification provided is real, a TSA officer then signs off on the screening.
TSA Facial Recognition Privacy Concerns
Are the cameras always running? What happens to the data they collect? What if hackers target the technology or database? What if the results aren’t accurate? What if it’s unclear that passengers have the right to opt out? If they do, will they be subject to further suspicion or extra scrutiny?
The TSA claims that early testing of the system has been generally positive. While the TSA does acknowledge that some information is shared with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate as part of the pilot program, it promises that data is deleted within 24 hours.
However, what if policies and practices around the storage and sharing of information change or the system evolves from one-to-one matching to matching your image with an entire database of pictures of you? Will the public be informed, and will there be any external checks and balances like an audit done to confirm the TSA is complying with their public statements or published policies?
Some security experts and even a handful of senators oppose the TSA’s use of biometric data. However, it’s possible that the TSA could eventually make facial recognition software mandatory for all passengers.
How to Opt-Out of TSA Facial Recognition
The technology is currently being piloted at the following airports: Baltimore, Reagan National near Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Jose, and Gulfport-Biloxi and Jackson in Mississippi.
If this makes you nervous, the good news is that you can easily opt-out. Simply tell the TSA agent you want standard verification as you hand over your license or passport. What’s uncertain is how the agent will respond. Our guess is you’ll probably be moved to some secondary inspection area, but we haven’t been able to confirm this.
As of now, the TSA’s facial recognition technology functions similarly to Face ID on your iPhone. Concerns arise as the use of this technology becomes more widespread. Perhaps it will be used to book flights and check bags, too?
There’s no doubt it’s a slippery slope. While some take the “technology is here to stay, deal with it” approach, others have voiced justifiable privacy concerns. Either way, it’s important to be informed and develop your own position.
