Maybe I’m hopelessly jaded, but I’m happy to trade privacy for convenience when it comes to TSA secrity checkpoints at US airports. That said, the crusade of one U.S. Senator to remind Americans of their privacy rights is commendable, even if naive.
One U.S. Senator On A Crusade Against TSA Facial Recognition
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D – OR) has made a point of publicly holding the TSA accountable for facial recognition use. He had an opt-out incident at Washington National (DCA) where the agent initially told him he could not opt out, which runs contrary to TSA policy.
Over the last few months, he has repeatedly addressed the topic through a series of social media posts and Senate floor speeches.
Yes, you can opt out of facial recognition screening, even though the TSA promises that it deletes the photos after each use. And I don’t begrudge those who do that.
But call me jaded, but I don’t think there is any privacy in this world. Even in the “land of the free and the home of the brave,” everything is tracked. Every text message I send, website I visit, and dollar I spent on a credit card…we are all being watched.
Merkley is afraid of a federal government database that can be used to target citizens one day. Sir, I’m fairly sure that already exists on a very large scale. While I am thankful for the safeguards that still exist (though some seem more theoretical these days), I’m just happy to get through security in a few seconds and keep my shoes on and laptop in the bag. How about getting rid of that ridiculous liquid ban?
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CONCLUSION
I’m not going to go political today because that doesn’t serve my business model, but I’ll just say that with all that is going on, the TSA taking my photo is one of the least of my concerns.
Kudos to Merkley for supporting civil liberties and safeguards against government overreach…that is something that every American should support. At the same time, I just want to get through that security checkpoint as soon as possible and programs like TSA Touchless ID make the process incredibly smooth. I’m thankful that security screenings have become far more efficient.
What are your thoughts on opt-out?
> Read More: TSA Touchless ID Will Put CLEAR Out Of Business
I fear loss of the paper boarding pass
With hacking, Russia and China probably already has a thick file on all of us. Israel probably has a thick file on all the nuclear employees and how to kill them. They probably wanted to save missiles by shooting one at the janitors apartment
Nope, I don’t opt out. I already had to submit to a full background check and get fingerprinted to obtain my professional license. If the guys in black helicopters want to snoop on me, they already know how and where to find me, regardless of whether the TSA snaps a photo of me. (Yes, I share Senator Merkeley’s concern that the data will be mishandled/misused; I just don’t think opting out will accomplish anything.)
Nevertheless, I also get quite agitated when government/law enforcement agents give attitude or the “if you don’t have anything to hide, you’ll comply” BS when someone like the good Senator asserts their rights. Anyone who wants to opt out should be able to without hassle.
Aside from the fact that Merkley is a far left lunatic from Portland, he’s also wrong here.
ANYONE concerned about privacy needs to throw the smartphone away. Anything and everything the government or anyone else wants to know about you can be tracked through it.
The ones concerned about this are still trying to find out how Bush faked 9/11 and believe we never landed on the moon. Pure lunacy.
Douchebag Dave Edwards, proving with your every comment that your nickname is absolutely accurate and completely deserved and that you have nothing better to do with your pathetic waste-of-oxygen life than to comment here over and over and over again every single day.
Douchebag Dave Edwards, re: “lunatic” and “pure lunacy”, excellent self-own, perfect projection. Re: “how Bush faked 9/11 and believe we never landed on the moon” your arrogance in writing today that some conspiracy theories are “lunacy” while the conspiracy theories that you often support and disseminate are “truth” is astounding, pure lunacy, you SHPOS.
Douchebag Dave Edwards, re: “lunatic” and “pure lunacy”, excellent self-own and projection. Re: “how Bush faked 9/11 and believe we never landed on the moon” your arrogance in writing that some conspiracy theories are “lunacy” while often writing that the conspiracy theories that you support and disseminate are “truth” is actually the pure lunacy, you SHPOS.
Soldiers are patrolling DC because an appointee named Big Balls got a beat down by a 15 year old girl and boy at 3 am at Logan circle. This is absurd. Expecting privacy or being anonymous for the last 30 years is also absurd.
I could not care less about TSA having my picture, my fingerprints, my DNA, etc… We haven’t had privacy for years now and unless you want to live under a rock and give up all the convenience you get in today’s world and live the old style, you have to just just be OK with the new reality. I pay all my taxes, I follow the law, I don’t break any rules, I have absolutely nothing to hide so whatever. Anywhere you go now you see cameras watching you. Every traffic light here has a camera recording traffic, your face, your car. You enter a store and there is a camera recording your activities while there. We browse the web and suddenly you are inundated with ads about something you searched. I get spam calls non stop on my phone. I get emails, text messages that are scams all the time. I now get bots trying to connect with me on LinkedIn. The world is crazy right now and I feel bad for older generations that unfortunately are not electronically savvy enough to deal with all the scam coming their way. So, the TSA having my face it the least of my concerns.
I could care less. The Federal Government/FBI has my fingerprints and information in their databases because as a Pediatric Clinician I have access to many drugs so … Besides that, I’m all for speeding through airport security/checkpoints
It’s a real shame when people say I could not care less or that the government and google have all my info anyways so who cares. The point is that opting out here demonstrates, in a very small way, push back against government overreach. At least the opportunity to opt out, something that an authoritarian govt would not ever permit, is there. Kudos to the senator, and to anyone, who exercises that option. And no issues with anyone who doesn’t. We all make compromises. Chiding someone for having a smartphone but opting out is nonsensical. It’s not all or nothing. If enough people opt out, perhaps those in power will get the message that the people in this country actually care about privacy and government overreach and, maybe, that will lead to changes.
The issue here is where these photos are transmitted and then stored without consent. Third party contractors with tsa and photo boarding is nebulous and unknown. That’s where my likeness can be sold and stolen. Then used to track at will simply by my photo.
I push back on photos at check points. It’s not necessary. It takes longer for photos. I choose not to give them a daily update on my aging. It’s not needed. Everyone goes through screening. Nefarious people will find a way anyway.
I choose not to allow my digital trail to get bigger for someone to steal.
Faces can be used to survey you against your will in society. Finger prints can’t. And you have to choose to providecthst data. Not so much walking down the street.
Kudos sir.
I agree. They state it’s immediately deleted….Right…Does anyone believe anything the govt states anymore? If nothing else I cant believe the labor union representing the TSA allowed this. Mark my word. Coming soon..there will be 1 TSA agent for 6 positions like at your local grocery store. I opt out when airlines try that same thing on Intl flights…”No ….
Look at my passport and boardimg pass.”
I’ll keep pushing back while I can.
Have a drivers license or a passport? Too late.
Touchless TSA works by matching to your passport photo. It works for me whether I shave or not, have glasses on or not, have a fresh haircut or let it grow for 2 months… if they can match that photo to my face in a second, they already have everything
Great take….for once.
Hacking is a fact of life!!
Every quarter I get a notice of possible identity theft from a company I never hear of who is a subcontractor for one of my credit cards, state DMV (7.5 million records compromised), former cell phone carrier, or credit union.
I took out a car loan several months ago. Within two weeks of submitting the on-line application, two of my credit cards were compromised. Also, I’ve been called by someone posing as my long ago credit card carrier wanting me to do Zelle transactions for “audit” verification!!
Facial recognition is used in the high tourist areas of my neighboring city. It was used to identify several inmates who recently escaped from the county jail.
I’m waiting for some type of hacking when I go thru TSA, pre-TSA, passport control (both foreign & domestic), or what ever.
Suggest you get in the habit of vetting your checking, savings, and retirement accounts each morning.
Don’t wait for the monthly or quarterly statements…it will be too late!!
I agree. This is a situation in which I feel that those opposing the program don’t understand what it’s doing. They aren’t building a facial recognition database, they are running your photo against the one they already have. When you applied for PreCheck, you gave them your photo (and fingerprints!) which also happens with passports (the database that international boarding sometimes uses). You can opt out of the screening, but not out of the database itself which would seem to be the actual concern.
The database isnt the issue. Its the channels and tubes to the database that can be compromised by third parties.
TSA also admits they can keep your photos as they see fit for “testing purposes” no notification necessary. so it is also about creating a bigger database…..sure they have my DL and passport photos i submit….but i chose not to provide them an ongoing additional trail of my wrinkles and scruff when not necessary….daily flying domestically is not a necessary photo opportunity.
If you have a passport, doesn’t the government have your photo? They have all your flight data from the airline. What additional info does TSA facial recognition provide?