TSA Unveils Plan for Biometrics and Facial Recognition

The Transportation Security Administration unveiled a multistep plan earlier this week to expand facial recognition and biometric use to improve security efficiency and reduce wait times at airport security.

“With the threat to aviation evolving every day, developing the next generation of security technology with our industry partners is critically important,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a TSA press release. “By expanding our use of biometrics, TSA secures its position as a global leader in aviation security and advances global transportation security standards.”

According to the report, facial recognition software and fingerprints would replace manual checks and reliance on physical travel documents and forms of identification.

In the first phase of the program, TSA will partner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use the technology for international travelers entering and leaving the U.S. TSA then plans to expand the program to domestic travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck, followed by the general public.

Regarding privacy concerns, the report notes that protections will include “restrictions to prevent the use of biometrics for purposes other than transportation security, unless individuals have opted into other uses

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