A bipartisan group of 12 senators has urged the Transportation Security Administration’s inspector general to investigate the agency’s use of facial recognition, saying it poses a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties.

“This technology will soon be in use at hundreds of major and mid-size airports without an independent evaluation of the technology’s precision or an audit of whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect passenger privacy,” the senators wrote.

“While the TSA claims facial recognition is optional, it is confusing and intimidating to opt out of TSA’s facial recognition scans, and our offices have received numerous anecdotal reports of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) becoming belligerent when a traveler askes to opt out, or simply being unaware of that right,” the senators wrote. They added that in some airports the signage instructing flyers to step in front of a camera is prominently displayed while signs advising passengers of their right to opt out of face scan is “strategically placed in inconspicuous locations.”

To opt out of a face scan at an airport, a traveler need only say that they decline facial recognition. They can then proceed normally through security by presenting an identification document, such as a driver’s license or passport.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    29 days ago

    They used to freak out over face wash or a moisturizer that was over the size limit, and now they don’t even check. As far as I’m concerned that’s just them admitting it was stupid to begin with. They’re all stupid. The organization is stupid. Everything is stupid! Gaaaah! Okay, I’m done. Thanks for listening.

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      29 days ago

      That’s all because the rules changed. I forget exactly when, what and how.

      People hate the “government” because the employees have to follow rules and have zero discretion. You can see liberals and conservatives alike bitching about whatever, but it mostly comes to the same bitch, the guy behind the desk is bound by hard and fast rules.

      Note: This does not apply to the private sector, who we all mostly deal with. So it comes as a surprise when the gubermint insists on “idiotic” rules. Those employees don’t get to bend even a tiny bit.

      Another note: The TSA in particular, fuck me. By their own rules, passengers cannot argue an agent’s discretion. You can read that for yourself on their webpage. Had to throw out a few bullets in Tulsa because the agent insisted they must be contained in a particular sort of box. No, the TSA page doesn’t say that, only that bullets must be in an “appropriate” container, such as they were shipped in. No, you don’t get to argue. Whew. There’s my bitch.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        29 days ago

        Meanwhile our politicians just throw rules to the wayside and do whatever they want. It’s frustrating. Oh, they’re also the ones who come up with idiotic rules like size limits on liquids, as if you couldn’t combine two of the same liquids together once you get passed security. It’s just arbitrary stupidity.