Name: TSA Installs Facial Recognition Tech in Several US Airports, Alarming Some Lawmakers
Uploaded: 2023-05-16T19:17:04.000Z
Description: The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing out the use of facial recognition systems at American airports, which some experts worry could compromise privacy and civil liberties.

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

NTD Plus

News

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

Pentagon Scraps Deployment of 4,000 Troops to Poland

9/11 Memorial and Museum Adds 7th Moment of Silence

AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Launch Joint Venture to Tackle Dead Zones

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

Trump Committed to US Defense, Prosperity, Amid China Talks: Expert

Jerome Powell Ends Tenure as Fed Chair

US Government Sues Chick-fil-A Over Religious Rights

California Gubernatorial Candidates Make Closing Pitches to Voters 

House Passes 1st Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Federal Judge Partly Blocks Texas Immigration Law

Trump Announces National Garden of American Heroes Plans

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 15)

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 14)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.

Kevin Hogan

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 11)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 5)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 4)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing out the use of facial recognition systems at American airports, which some experts worry could compromise privacy and civil liberties.

TSA’s pilot project involves travelers placing their ID cards into a slot and facing a camera on a screen. The camera captures their image and then compares it to their identification.

“What we are trying to do with this is aid the officers to actually determine that you are who you say who you are,” said Jason Lim, identity management capabilities manager, during a demonstration of the technology to reporters at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

The TSA is testing the technology at 16 airports. In addition to Baltimore, the other airports are based in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Washington, as well as San Jose, California; Orlando, Florida; and Gulfport-Biloxi and Jackson in Mississippi.

The TSA’s project has attracted criticism from lawmakers.

On Feb. 9, a group of Democrat senators wrote a letter (<a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/tsa_facial_recognition_technology_letter.pdf">pdf</a>) to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, asking that the agency “immediately halt” deployment of the program.

“Increasing biometric surveillance of Americans by the government represents a risk to civil liberties and privacy rights,” the letter said.

“Currently if a U.S. traveler shows up to one of the 16 airports testing this technology, they will be met with a facial identification scanner before they can proceed to their flight. Thousands of people daily are encountering a decision to travel or safeguard their privacy—a decision that threatens our democracy.”
<h2>Privacy Concerns</h2>
The TSA says the pilot program is voluntary and accurate, but critics have raised concerns about questions of bias in facial recognition technology and possible repercussions for passengers who want to opt out.

Jeramie Scott from the Electronic Privacy Information Center said that while it’s voluntary now, it might not be for long. He noted that Pekoske said during a talk in April that eventually, the use of biometrics would be required because they’re more effective and efficient, although Pekoske gave no timeline.

Scott said he’d prefer TSA not use the technology at all. At the least, he’d like to see an outside audit to verify that the technology isn’t disproportionately affecting certain groups and that the images are deleted immediately.

Meg Foster, a justice fellow at Georgetown University’s Center on Privacy and Technology, said there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies. Some have a harder time recognizing faces of minorities, for example.
<h2>False Arrests</h2>
The use of facial recognition technology (FRT) has resulted in multiple people being arrested for crimes they did not commit.

In Georgia, a black man was held in jail for almost a week in late November after the facial recognition system incorrectly matched him with the face of a suspect who had allegedly committed a robbery in New Orleans, <a href="https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/jpso-used-facial-recognition-to-arrest-a-man-it-was-wrong/article_0818361a-8886-11ed-8119-93b98ecccc8d.html">The Times-Picayune</a> reported.

The victim of this error had never visited Louisiana. He was only released after detectives realized they had made an error.

Another man, Nijeer Parks, was wrongly arrested in 2019 for allegedly shoplifting snacks and candy in New Jersey due to an error in facial recognition. He already had a previous conviction for drug-related charges. In his first appearance in court, Parks began to consider his options, including admitting to a crime he did not commit.

“That’s when it started hitting me, like a plea deal might not be bad even if I didn’t do it because with a trial there’s more [time], and me being a convicted felon, my time is doubled,” he told <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/wrongful-arrests-ai-derailed-3-mens-lives/">Wired</a> in March 2022.

The case against Parks was only dropped after almost a year, including 10 days he spent in jail.
<h2>Government Use of FRT</h2>
In August 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report (<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-526.pdf">pdf</a>) detailing how FRT is being used by federal agencies.

Out of the 24 surveyed agencies, 18 reported using an FRT system for one or more purposes. Sixteen used it for digital access or cybersecurity-related tasks.

Six agencies used the technology to generate leads in criminal investigations, like identifying a person of interest. Five agencies used FRT to monitor or surveil locations to determine whether a specific individual was present in the place.

“Ten agencies reported plans to expand their use of FRT through fiscal year 2023. For example, an agency plans to pilot the use of FRT to automate the identity verification process at airports for travelers,” the GAO report said.

In February 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union and 40 other groups asked President Joe Biden to take executive action to stop the use of FRTs. The technology poses “profound and unprecedented threats to core civil rights and civil liberties,” the coalition <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/rights-groups-urge-biden-to-stop-use-of-facial-recognition-technology_3700806.html">warned</a> in a letter.

<em>The Associated Press contributed to the report.</em>

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/tsa-installs-facial-recognition-tech-in-several-us-airports-alarming-some-lawmakers_5266616.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Videos

Politics

04_Top Stories

Premium Picks

Latest Clips

Facial Recognition Technology

Management

Naveen Athrappully is a news reporter covering business and world events at The Epoch Times.


Naveen Athrappully

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

TSA Installs Facial Recognition Tech in Several US Airports, Alarming Some Lawmakers

House Panel Advances Police Bills in Party-Line Vote After Contentious Hearing

DeSantis Fundraises for Ex-Marine Daniel Penny Charged Over Subway Chokehold Death

Germany Greenlights Hamburg Deal With China

US Government Revenue in Free Fall: Economist

Ross Muscato covers the U.S. Congress for The Epoch Times.