Latest news with #CredentialAuthenticationTechnology
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
TSA Announces Big Change at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Over the past several months the Transportation Security Administration has been rolling out new technology to screen passengers before their travels. One of the busiest airports in the United States will be seeing that upgrade this month. On June 5 the TSA announced a new security checkpoint located at the south end of the terminal on the arrivals level at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The new checkpoint is designed to screen up to 750 passengers per hour. "It will be open daily 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is the first checkpoint on the baggage claim level as part of innovative designs in a space constrained terminal. This will provide a new option for travelers for convenience as well as additional queuing and re-composure space to improve the customer experience," the TSA said in a statement. The security administration revealed what passengers can expect when encountering the latest version of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2). "A TSA officer will scan the passenger's photo identification and a camera will capture a real-time photo of the passenger. CAT-2 uses facial matching technology to compare the features on the photo ID against the in-person, real-time photo," the TSA said. "Once the unit confirms a match, a TSA officer verifies it and the traveler can proceed to security screening. TSA officers can perform additional passenger verification if needed. Through a secure Internet connection, the units also verify that an individual is ticketed for air travel, negating the need to show a boarding pass." The TSA also revealed photos captured by the new equipment are "never stored or used for any other purpose than immediate identity verification." Travelers who don't want to participate in the facial matching process have the option to opt Announces Big Change at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 6, 2025
The Hill
21-05-2025
- The Hill
Can you decline to have your photo taken at a TSA checkpoint?
(NEXSTAR) – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been working to bring facial recognition technology to security checkpoints at hundreds of airports over the last several years, with the goal of streamlining the ID process and improving 'traveler convenience.' 'The facial recognition technology TSA uses helps ensure the person standing at the checkpoint is the same person pictured on the identification document (ID) credential,' the TSA writes of its Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) scanners, which are currently being used at 259 airports, according to a TSA spokesperson. The agency also explains that the images are not used for surveillance purposes. These biometrics are 'solely' used to assist with ID comparisons, the TSA says, and will be deleted shortly after the verification of a passenger's identification. (There are 'limited' instances when photos are kept to evaluate or test the accuracy of the technology, but passengers will be notified when this is the case, the spokesperson said.) Despite these assurances, some passengers have expressed reservations about the process, or find it a bit intrusive. But these people may be interested to know that the process is completely voluntary. Passengers who opt out of the photo, though, will still be subjected to an ID verification process by a TSA officer. 'Travelers who do not wish to participate in the facial recognition technology process may decline the optional photo, without recourse, in favor of an alternative identity verification process, which does not use facial recognition technology to verify their identity,' the TSA says. The TSA also explains that these 'alternate' processes will not result in a passenger losing their place in line. It also won't take any longer than the CAT-2 scanning process, the agency claims. When asked what an alternate ID verification process might entail, a TSA spokesperson told Nexstar that an officer will first 'visually compare' the passengers face with their ID before taking one (or more) of the following actions: scanning the ID with the CAT-2 machine, or utilizing UV lights, magnifiers or 'other tools' to assess the legitimacy of the ID. 'TSA is committed to protecting traveler privacy, civil rights, civil liberties and ensuring the public's trust as it seeks to improve the traveler experience through its exploration of identity verification technologies,' the agency says. Signage placed at TSA checkpoints — like those seen hanging from the CAT-2 machines in the image below — also aim to inform travelers of their right to decline a photo during the screening process. 'Participation in TSA facial recognition technology is optional. Your photo is deleted after identity is verified,' reads the signage. 'Advise the officer if you do not want your photo taken. You will not lose your place in line.' Customs and Border Protection (CBP), too, has a similar policy, allowing travelers to opt out of its biometrics technology and 'request alternative processing, which typically involves a manual review of their travel documents by a CBP Officer.' That said, the Department of Homeland Security has plenty of confidence in the current biometrics technologies in use by the TSA and CBP. A January report from DHS found that the facial recognition tools accurately match faces well over 99% of the time, regardless of demographic groups. The TSA also believes that future efforts to implement new identify-verifying technologies to U.S. checkpoints — including biometric tools — will only enhance safety. 'TSA hopes that biometrics technology will result in improved accuracy and speed of identity verification, while making the passenger experience faster and more seamless.'
USA Today
20-05-2025
- USA Today
Facial recognition at TSA: What to know before your next airport screening
Facial recognition at TSA: What to know before your next airport screening Show Caption Hide Caption What you need to know about airport security rules and checkpoints Here are TSA rules that you need to know and what to expect at each airport checkpoint. TSA is rolling out facial recognition technology at airport security checkpoints nationwide. The technology aims to streamline identity verification and improve security. Privacy concerns exist regarding data storage and potential misuse. Travelers can opt out of facial recognition for an alternative screening process. The growing use of facial recognition technology at airport security checkpoints is making some travelers worry about their digital privacy. During the screening process at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints across 84 airports nationwide, air passengers will encounter the second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT), according to the agency's website. The technology is expected to roll out to over 400 federalized airports. This biometric technology, in which a traveler's photo is taken while the officer scans their ID, is meant to streamline the process of verifying that you match your documents, flight status and vetting status. It also assesses digital IDs, if a traveler has one. What travelers should know: Do I have to give border control my phone? "This latest technology helps ensure that we know who is boarding flights," said TSA's Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania and Delaware Gerardo Spero in a news release last month. "Credential authentication plays an important role in passenger identity verification. It improves a TSA officer's ability to validate a traveler's photo identification while also identifying any inconsistencies associated with fraudulent travel documents." However, there are rising concerns around the safety of biometric information storage, stemming from the lack of transparency around the database where the information is being stored. "It's not about the integrity of your face or driver's license, it's about the database where you have no control," said India McKinney, director of federal affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. There's the risk of misidentification, security breaches, plus human or technological error. The screening process also varies at different airports and even terminals, putting the burden on the traveler. "We are aware of a variety of public concerns related to the accuracy of facial recognition and other biometric technologies and take those concerns seriously," the agency told USA TODAY in an email statement. Here's what travelers should know about TSA's facial recognition technology. What happens to my data after the security checkpoint screening? According to the TSA, your information is generally deleted shortly after you pass the screening process and is not used for surveillance purposes. If you opted into the TSA PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution, your information will be deleted 24 hours after your flight's scheduled departure time. "TSA is committed to protecting passenger privacy," an agency spokesperson said. "Under normal operating conditions TSA facial recognition technology deletes traveler data and images immediately after your identity is verified." However, the agency added that the TSA will temporarily keep photos and data "in rare instances" to test the accuracy of the biometric technology. If this is going to happen, the agency will notify passengers with signs, and it's only for a limited time. Travelers can decline without losing their place in line. The agency said it secures all personal data and images, and adheres to DHS and TSA cybersecurity requirements. Nevertheless, all systems, including facial recognition technology, are susceptible to being compromised. "No cyber system is 100% secure, even if the images aren't used for a long period of time," said Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor in computer science and data science at the University of New Haven. "The fact that they're being imposed on a large group of travelers presents a vulnerability ... if an adversary manages to compromise the end points, then the adversary has access to all the facial images and details, assuming the IDs are also scanned." Can I decline TSA taking my photo? Yes, you can opt out of facial recognition technology and receive an alternative ID credential check from the officer instead. "There is no issue and no delay with a traveler exercising their rights to not participate in the automated biometrics matching technology," TSA states on its website.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Forget Precheck: TSA adds invasive new security measure
Going through airport security has always been an invasive process. In the interest of "safety," something everyone wants, federal agents have an awful lot of power. On my recent trip from Orlando to Hartford, the experience was particularly unpleasant. After putting my carry-on through the scanner, I walked through the body scanning area on my inner thigh lit up and the TSA agent did an aggressive (and intimate) pat down of the area. It's easy to defend that in the interest of "safety," but it seemed excessive. What was also surprising is that before I walked through the scanner, I presented my Real ID (a passport card) to the TSA agent at the counter and stood in front of him in order to have my picture the time, I didn't think much of it, but in retrospect I realized that in addition to the more strict identification process, the photo was actually new. This new process has some people up in arms over whether it's an invasion of privacy or some sort of effort to track where citizens travel. The TSA has pushed back on that notion. The TSA has easy justification for anything it does. It can grab my groin because it's protecting the public good. It can confiscate a corkscrew it missed in my baggage dozens of times for the same reason. Most people will put up with anything under the guise that it's keeping them safer. That's how the TSA explained the addition of the photo-taking technology when it was introduced at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania. 'This technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent IDs such as driver's licenses and passports at a checkpoint and it increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger's identification,' Gerardo Spero, TSA's federal security director for Pennsylvania and Delaware, said in the news release. 'We just want to ensure that you are who you say you are.' The new photo-taking machines are a new version of the agency's Credential Authentication Technology to verify the identity of travelers. The first generation of these units was designed to scan a traveler's photo identification and confirm the traveler's identity and flight details. More on travel: Low-cost airline to pull all Hawaii flights amid low demand Government issues new travel advisory on popular beach destination Another country just issued a new visa requirement for visitors The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler. "CAT-2 compares the traveler's photo on the ID against the in-person, real-time photo. Once the CAT-2 confirms the match, a TSA officer verifies, and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint, without ever exchanging a boarding pass. The photo is then deleted," according to the federal agency. Air travelers have some options when it comes to how they get screened. You can, for example, opt for a full-body pat-down if you don't want to (or can't) go through the body-scanning machine. For people with certain joint replacements or heart conditions, that may be an easier choice. 'Credential authentication plays an important role in passenger identity verification. It improves a TSA officer's ability to validate a traveler's photo identification while also identifying any inconsistencies associated with fraudulent travel documents," Spero said. The system also confirms the passenger's flight status by verifying that the individual is ticketed to fly out of an airport on that same who might not trust the federal government, don't have to have their picture taken. "Photos captured by CAT-2 units are never stored or used for any other purpose than immediate identity verification," according to the TSA. "Travelers who do not wish to participate in the facial matching process can opt out in favor of an alternative identity verification process." This technology is not limited to airports. It has been used in newer cruise ports as well.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
TSA pushes back on invasive new airport security technology
Going through airport security has always been an invasive process. In the interest of "safety," something everyone wants, federal agents have an awful lot of power. On my recent trip from Orlando to Hartford, the experience was particularly unpleasant. After putting my carry-on through the scanner, I walked through the body scanning device. Related: Disney World adds genius feature that improves its theme parks An area on my inner thigh lit up and the TSA agent did an aggressive (and intimate) pat down of the area. It's easy to defend that in the interest of "safety," but it seemed excessive. What was also surprising is that before I walked through the scanner, I presented my Real ID (a passport card) to the TSA agent at the counter and stood in front of him in order to have my picture taken. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter At the time, I didn't think much of it, but in retrospect I realized that in addition to the more strict identification process, the photo was actually new. This new process has some people up in arms over whether it's an invasion of privacy or some sort of effort to track where citizens travel. The TSA has pushed back on that notion. The TSA has easy justification for anything it does. It can grab my groin because it's protecting the public good. It can confiscate a corkscrew it missed in my baggage dozens of times for the same reason. Most people will put up with anything under the guise that it's keeping them safer. That's how the TSA explained the addition of the photo-taking technology when it was introduced at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania. "This technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent IDs such as driver's licenses and passports at a checkpoint and it increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger's identification," Gerardo Spero, TSA's federal security director for Pennsylvania and Delaware, said in the news release. "We just want to ensure that you are who you say you are." The new photo-taking machines are a new version of the agency's Credential Authentication Technology to verify the identity of travelers. The first generation of these units was designed to scan a traveler's photo identification and confirm the traveler's identity and flight details. More on travel: Low-cost airline to pull all Hawaii flights amid low demandGovernment issues new travel advisory on popular beach destinationAnother country just issued a new visa requirement for visitors The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler. "CAT-2 compares the traveler's photo on the ID against the in-person, real-time photo. Once the CAT-2 confirms the match, a TSA officer verifies, and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint, without ever exchanging a boarding pass. The photo is then deleted," according to the federal agency. Air travelers have some options when it comes to how they get screened. You can, for example, opt for a full-body pat-down if you don't want to (or can't) go through the body-scanning machine. For people with certain joint replacements or heart conditions, that may be an easier choice. "Credential authentication plays an important role in passenger identity verification. It improves a TSA officer's ability to validate a traveler's photo identification while also identifying any inconsistencies associated with fraudulent travel documents," Spero said. The system also confirms the passenger's flight status by verifying that the individual is ticketed to fly out of an airport on that same day. Related: Troubled airline files bankruptcy, travelers may not get refunds Flyers, who might not trust the federal government, don't have to have their picture taken. "Photos captured by CAT-2 units are never stored or used for any other purpose than immediate identity verification," according to the TSA. "Travelers who do not wish to participate in the facial matching process can opt out in favor of an alternative identity verification process." This technology is not limited to airports. It has been used in newer cruise ports as well. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
