Latest news with #TouchlessID
Travel Weekly
05-08-2025
- Travel Weekly
Denver's airport debuts touchless security lanes
Denver is the 14th U.S. airport to offer TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lanes. Touchless lanes are now available at the airport's East and West security checkpoints for PreCheck flyers on Alaska, American, Delta and United who have opted in ahead of time with their airline. In Touchless ID lanes, flyers are able to go hands-free through the checkpoint, pausing only briefly for a photo that is biometrically verified against passport or driver's license images. The TSA says Touchless ID screening takes an average of eight seconds, compared with 18 to 20 seconds in standard PreCheck lanes, where photos are still verified manually against a physical or digital ID. The other airports that have Touchless ID are Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington Reagan National.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No boarding pass, no ID: Facial recognition coming to Sea-Tac
This story was initially published on Soon, it'll only take a face scan to get some passengers through airport security. On Friday, Alaska Airlines announced plans to expand its facial recognition program to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). The program is called Touchless ID and is already being used in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The program–for those who opt in–would eliminate the need to show ID or a boarding pass to a TSA agent. Instead, passengers would just need to scan their faces to continue through security. 'Using Touchless ID is going to be a game-changer for our guests as they navigate our hub airports. No longer needing to juggle a boarding pass and physical ID means our guests can breeze through security with just their face,' Charu Jain, a Senior Vice President with Alaska Airlines, said in a statement. It's an effort by the airline to streamline airport security. Not everyone is eligible for the service, and those who use the program must opt in. Some of the eligibility requirements include an Alaska Airlines mileage plan account and enrollment in TSA PreCheck. According to the Alaska Airlines website, 'Touchless ID is a program run through the TSA, and they manage all data related to its usage.' Touchless ID is only available at select airports. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) will launch the program next week. Portland and Los Angeles will introduce the program in early July.
Irish Daily Star
25-04-2025
- Irish Daily Star
Everything to know about TSA facial recognition and whether you should opt in
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been slowly rolling out a facial recognition program that eliminates the need for physical identification at security checkpoints . The TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program is being used in more airports across the US and uses facial recognition technology to match your face to the photo on your identification to speed up the screening process. It comes as the TSA prepares for a major ID rule change . From May 7, TSA agents will begin enforcing REAL ID requirements across the country. Passengers over the age of 18 catching a flight in the US will be required to present a passport or an upgraded state-issued identification card that meets federal REAL ID standards. Read More Related Articles Trump struggles to hide mystery bruise with makeup despite 'excellent health' claims Read More Related Articles JD Vance struggles to handle his three children in tough parenting moment at Taj Mahal TSA says PreCheck Touchless ID is more convenient, efficient and secure (stock image) (Image: Getty Images) However, if the scan works for those opted into the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program then you may not need to hand your ID to a TSA officer at all. The facial recognition program is voluntary, leading to many passengers wondering whether or not they should opt in. Here's everything you need to know. What is TSA PreCheck Touchless ID? TSA PreCheck Touchless ID "enhances the security screening process with facial recognition technology for faster, more efficient identity verification," according to the TSA. The program utilises facial identification technology to verify the identities of travelers at security checkpoints. While you would usually hand a TSA officer your physical ID, which must be a REAL ID from May 7, if you are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID you instead stand in front of a kiosk that captures an image of you from the chin up. 'The technology compares biometric templates of passengers' live photos to a pre-staged gallery of existing passport or visa photo templates,' a TSA representative told AFAR . When did the TSA start using facial recognition? The TSA first launched the Touchless ID program in March 2021 at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in partnership with Delta and United. The program was expanded to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in June the same year. Since then, the program has continued to expand and is available at Los Angeles International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport with Delta Air Lines. The service has also been launched in partnership with United at Los Angeles International Airport and O'Hare International Airport. Passengers traveling with Alaska Airlines through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will also be able to use TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. TSA is making a major change to ID rules next month (stock image) (Image: Getty Images) Who is eligible for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID? TSA PreCheck members traveling with participating airlines, which include Delta, United and Alaska Airlines, can use the Touchless ID program at participating airports. Travelers are required to opt in to Touchless ID. On your airline profile, you must fill out your Known Traveler Number, enter a valid passport number and country and select "OPT IN" on your profile or during check in. Once you have opted in, you will receive a consent indicator on your mobile boarding pass making you eligible for the facial recognition process. Travelers who have opted in to the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program must still carry a physical ID as a back-up and are required to present it if asked by a TSA officer. Should you opt-in for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID? The TSA encourages opting in to the PreCheck Touchless ID program, claiming it is more convenient, more efficient, more secure, and offers more privacy. A key concern with facial recognition technology is privacy. In the case of the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, participation is voluntary and members can opt out at any time. According to the TSA, the Department of Homeland Security deletes this data within 180 days. The agency states: "TSA officers now use biometric cameras to assist with identity verification. Your photo and personal data are deleted after your identity is verified. Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance, nor shared with other entities." However, Joshua McKenty, CEO and co-founder of Polyguard, a cybersecurity company focused on data privacy and protection, suggests the reality is more complicated. 'Should I opt into any government system that uses my biometrics? Guess what—practically speaking, you don't have a choice,' he told AFAR. 'All modern passports and Real ID documents, etc., involve capturing and storing facial biometrics. If you want to travel, you're already rolling the dice here.' McKenty notes that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) already use facial biometrics and that while CBP doesn't retain them, the information is stored on the DHS's Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT). 'Even if you do opt out of that 'last step,' it probably doesn't change your privacy posture at all,' McKenty explains. 'Photos of permanent residents and foreign nationals are never deleted from IDENT, and the rules on removal of photos of U.S. citizens are increasingly vague.'
