Senate Introduces Bill to Halt TSA's Facial Recognition Plans at Airports,

 

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate this week seeks to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology and the gathering of facial biometric data by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in U.S. airports.

The Traveler Privacy Protection Act responds to TSA's proposed rollout of facial recognition scans across more than 430 U.S. airports in the coming years. The bill, championed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), aims to safeguard the public from intrusive facial scans.

Kennedy emphasized, "Every day, TSA scans thousands of Americans’ faces without their consent and without clearly indicating that travelers can opt out of this invasive screening. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act aims to put an end to Big Brother's intrusion."

Several civil and digital rights groups, including the ACLU and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, strongly support the legislation. They argue that it addresses the privacy infringements caused by facial recognition technology and its biased practices, particularly affecting individuals from diverse backgrounds, women, and people of color.

Albert Cahn, Executive Director and Founder of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), highlighted the bill's potential impact on marginalized communities, citing concerns about wrongful identifications and the technology's disproportionate impact on certain groups.

Cahn expressed concerns during an interview with FedScoop, stating, "The adoption of facial recognition by TSA could result in a surge of erroneous arrests due to faulty algorithmic analysis, potentially affecting innocent individuals. TSA's history with technology procurement, including ineffective spending on equipment, raises doubts about the efficacy of facial recognition as a security measure."

Acknowledging the desire for travel security, Cahn pointed out that TSA's flawed track record in technology implementation should prompt skepticism rather than blind acceptance of facial recognition technology.

Senate leaders note the prior attempts to curtail TSA's expansion of facial recognition technology have fallen short, indicating the necessity for new legislation.