Calls proposed requirements deleting biometric data a “step backward”.
During the week, a group representing several major airline companies wrote a letter to the Senate urging them to oppose a bill that aims to restrict the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of biometric data and facial recognition at safety checkpoints.
If passed, this legislation would limit the use of facial recognition and require the TSA to delete most of the images it collects within 24 hours of a passenger’s flight. Senator Jeff Merkley, who proposed this bill, argues that it’s necessary to protect Americans from having more of their data collected by the government.
“This is big government coming to take away your privacy, trying to set up a national surveillance system,” the Oregon Senator said in February.
But airlines said reducing the use of facial recognition could slow down security checkpoints and require more staff training manpower instead of relying on automation to speed up the process.
“The future of seamless and secure travel relies on the appropriate use of this technology to ensure security effectiveness and operational efficiency as daily travel volume continues to rise,” they wrote. “We are concerned that the vague and confusing exceptions to this blanket ban will have major consequences for the identity verification process, screening operations, and trusted traveler enrollment programs.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Congress as it advocates for the issues that matter to the American people.
- That the federal government works mindfully and carefully alongside American companies.
- That the work of the president’s administration supports innovation without violating the right to freedom and privacy.
Sources: The Hill
