Latest news with #airportSecurity
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Facial recognition at TSA: What to know before your next airport screening
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. 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." 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. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TSA facial recognition: What happens to your data after screening?
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Experts Issue Warning on New TSA Technology
In recent years, the TSA has rolled out some new technology at its airport security checkpoints that uses a real-time photo of your face to confirm passenger identity. However, some experts have issued a warning about the new technology. In an article published last month, Monica Torres of HuffPost quoted a few security experts as she warned travelers to opt out of the facial scan whenever they get to the security checkpoint at the airport. Travis LeBlanc, a lawyer and a former member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, told Torres that the benefit of declining the facial recognition technology 'is you don't have to submit your picture to the government, for the government to scan it and store it under their rules.' Those concerns were echoed by Jennifer King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. King said that the TSA's public communications are 'a little vague about what they were doing with the data.' That, coupled with some past privacy issues regarding the Department of Homeland Security, leads her to decline the face scan every time. 'I'm sure that the dream of enforcement agencies would be to be able to track people in real time based on something like facial recognition,' King said. It's worth noting that the TSA explicitly states that this technology is not used for surveillance and that it does not store data for any travelers. 'Photos are not stored or saved after a positive ID match has been made, except in a limited testing environment for evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology,' TSA states. However, LeBlanc warns that there are other potential uses for the technology. "TSA is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which is also responsible for immigration enforcement," he said. "There's lots of different uses that you could see for these images." He also warned that the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which serves as a watchdog for travelers' civil liberties, recently had key members fired, including himself. He said that the board was actually preparing a report on the TSA's new technology before the firings. As a result of the firings, LeBlanc warns that the board has 'lost the watchdog that would be there to promote transparency as well as make recommendations on changes to the system that would better balance privacy and civil liberties.' A TSA spokesperson has addressed these concerns, telling Huffpost in a statement that 'a real-time picture simply means that an image is taken at the kiosk and that 'live' photograph is matched against the image on the identification credential.' If a traveler does have reservations with the new technology, they will be permitted to opt out of the facial recognition screening. 'There is no issue and no delay with a traveler exercising their rights to not participate in the automated biometrics matching technology,' the TSA says on its website.
LBCI
13-05-2025
- LBCI
PM Salam conducts inspection tour at Beirut Airport, pledges improvements
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted an inspection tour of Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, accompanied by Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny, to review measures to ensure aviation safety and improve passenger comfort. During the visit, Prime Minister Salam held a meeting with Brigadier General Fadi Kfoury, head of airport security, along with other officials to assess current procedures aimed at enhancing security and safety. Discussions focused on facilitating passenger entry and exit, accelerating transit processes, reducing waiting times, and improving the overall travel experience. Talks also addressed boosting operational efficiency and improving coordination between various airport agencies. Salam expressed his gratitude to all airport staff for their continued efforts and reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing this vital gateway to ensure it remains a bright and welcoming entry point for Lebanon to the world.
