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A passenger walks into an airport security checkpoint, inserts an ID card into a slot and watches a camera above a small screen. The screen will flash “Photo Complete” and the person will pass – all without having to provide their identification to the TSA officer sitting behind the screen.
It’s all part of a pilot project by the Transportation Security Administration to explore the use of facial recognition technology at several airports across the country.
“What we’re trying to do with this is help officers to know who you are,” said Jason Lim, identity management capabilities manager, at a demonstration of the technology to reporters in Baltimore- Washington International Thurgood Airport is Marshall Airport.
The effort comes at a time when the use of various forms of technology to improve security and streamline procedures is increasing. The TSA says the pilot is voluntary and accurate, but critics have raised concerns about questions of bias in facial recognition technology and possible effects on passengers who want to choose.
The technology is currently available at 16 airports. In addition to Baltimore, it is used by Reagan National near Washington, DC, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Jose, and Gulfport airports. – Biloxi and Jackson in Mississippi. However, it is not at every TSA checkpoint so not every traveler passing through airports should experience it.
Travelers place their driver’s license in a card-readable slot or place their passport photo against a card reader. Then they look at a camera on a screen about the size of an iPad, which takes their picture and compares it to their ID. The technology both checks to ensure that people at the airport match the ID they present and that the identification is genuine. A TSA officer was still present and signed off on the screening.
A small sign informs travelers that their photo will be taken as part of the pilot and that they can opt out if they wish. It also includes a QR code so they can get more information.
Since it aired the pilot has come under scrutiny from some elected officials and privacy advocates. In a letter in February to the TSA, five senators – four Democrats and one Independent who are part of the Democratic caucus – asked the agency to stop the program, saying: “The increased biometric surveillance of Americans by the government represents a risk of civil liberties and the right to privacy.”
As various forms of technology that use biometric information such as facial IDs, retina scans or fingerprint matches become more widespread in the private sector and federal government, raising concerns among advocates on privacy about how this data is collected, who has access to it. and what happens if it gets hacked.
Meg Foster, an associate justice at Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University, says there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies. Some have a harder time recognizing the faces of minorities, for example. And there’s the concern of hackers out there looking for ways to hack into government systems for nefarious purposes.
Regarding the TSA pilot, Foster said he has concerns that while the agency says it does not currently store the biometric data it collects, what if that changes in the future? And while people are allowed to opt out, he said it’s unfair to put the onus on harassed passengers who may be worried they’ll miss their flight if they do.
“They may be worried that if they object to face recognition, that they will be under more suspicion,” Foster said.
Jeramie Scott, with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said that while it’s voluntary now it won’t last long. He noted that David Pekoske, who heads the TSA, said during a speech last April that eventually the use of biometrics will be necessary because it is more effective and efficient, although he did not give a timeline.
Scott said he wants the TSA not to use the technology. At the very least, he wants to see an external audit to verify that the technology does not disproportionately affect certain groups and that the images are removed immediately.
The TSA says the goal of the pilot is to improve the accuracy of identity verification without slowing the speed at which passengers pass through checkpoints — a key issue for an agency that sees 2.4 million passengers every day. The agency said early results were positive and showed no difference in the algorithm’s ability to identify passengers based on factors such as age, gender, race and ethnicity.
Lim said the images were not compiled into a database, and that photos and IDs were removed. Because this is an assessment, in limited circumstances some data is collected and shared with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. The TSA says the data will be deleted after 24 months.
Lim said that the camera only turns on when a person puts their ID card — so it’s not just gathering pictures of people at the airport. That also gives passengers control over whether they want to use it, he said. And he said research shows that while some algorithms perform worse in certain demographics, it also shows that higher-quality algorithms, like the one used by the agency, are more accurate. He says using the best available cameras is also a factor.
“We take these privacy and civil rights concerns very seriously, because we touch so many people every day,” he said.
Retired TSA official Keith Jeffries says the pandemic has accelerated the launch of different types of this “intangible” technology, where a passenger does not provide a document to an agent. And he envisions a “checkpoint of the future” where a passenger’s face can be used to check their bags, pass through security checkpoints and board planes — all with little or no need to remove the boarding card or ID documents.
He acknowledged the privacy concerns and lack of trust many people have when it comes to providing biometric data to the federal government, but said in many ways the use of biometrics has been embedded in society through the use of private technology. owned.
“Technology is here to stay,” he said.
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