US Senators: Use of facial recognition at airports should be limited

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A bipartisan group of senators said that due to concerns about travelers’ privacy and civil liberties, the use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should be restricted.

In a letter this week, 14 lawmakers said that so Congress can put in place some oversight, the Senate should use the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to limit TSA’s use of facial recognition.

Led by Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., John Kennedy, R-La., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., the senators said, "This technology poses significant threats to our privacy and civil liberties, and Congress should prohibit TSA’s development and deployment of facial recognition tools until rigorous congressional oversight occurs."

In response, the TSA said that the senators’ effort "would halt facial recognition technology at security checkpoints, which has proven to improve security effectiveness, efficiency, and the passenger experience."

Facial recognition is currently in use at 84 U.S. airports, and the TSA, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, plans to expand its use to some 430 in the coming years.

The technology is used to check whether travelers at the airport match the ID they present and that the identification is real, but a TSA officer must sign off on the screening.

The system improves accuracy of identity verification without slowing passenger speeds at checkpoints, and is not being used as a surveillance tool to compile a database or monitor people in and around the checkpoints, the TSA claimed, adding that photos and IDs are deleted after a passenger goes through the checkpoint. Passengers can also opt out.

In 2023, David Pekoske, TSA administrator, said that biometrics will eventually be fully adopted because they are more effective and efficient.

However, critics have raised questions about how data is collected, who has access to it, and the consequences of a hack. Privacy advocates are also concerned about possible bias in the algorithms, stressing it is not clear enough to passengers that they do not have to submit to facial recognition.