New FAA Bill Could Ban Biometric Screening at Airports
(Travel Agent Central, Apr 25, 2024)
Senators Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy, alongside four other cosponsors, have introduced an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that would “immediately prevent the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from using most automated facial matching technology at airport checkpoints,” currently implemented at many of the largest and busiest airports in the U.S. This amendment would ban or severely restrict TSA from using biometric technology, resulting in longer wait times in security screening checkpoint lines and reducing the layers of security afforded by advanced biometric facial matching programs—such as the CAT-2 machines and TSA PreCheck’s Touchless ID partnerships with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Further, millions of dollars would go to waste in U.S. taxpayer-funded programs used to develop and produce these technologies.
US Travel Industry Opposes FAA Amendment That Would Restrict TSA's Use
(Travel Pulse, Apr 25, 2024)
"Misguided efforts to place blanket restrictions on facial technology only succeed in harming security, wasting travelers' time and costing millions in taxpayer dollars invested in developing state-of-the-art screening technology. Congress will provoke the ire of millions of travelers if it chooses to hinder innovation, slow the travel process and reduce security," Freeman added.
Biometric-Based Fraud Attempts—Including Those Using AI—Are Up Nearly 40% This Year
(Fortune, Apr 25, 2024)
Presentation or liveness attacks have jumped 38% just this year, a Plaid spokesman told Fortune.Liveness attacks are when bad actors attempt to trick the video portion of a verification process by impersonating someone. It can be done by holding up a photo, wearing a realistic-looking mask, or by using a deepfake image on-screen. About 12% of all liveness attacks used generated faces, while roughly 25% of fraudulent ID document attempts used generative AI, the spokesman added.
My Work Wants My Biometric Data. Am I Right to Feel Uncomfortable?
(Brisbane Times, Apr 26, 2024)
At the risk of stating the obvious, without all the details it’s really difficult to say whether handing over your biometric data will ever become a condition of your employment. In a hypothetical future where your employer does institute such a policy, it’s also difficult to speculate on the result of any formal objection you make because, as Professor Munton said, every case “turns on its own facts”.
Smile! Pittsburgh International Airport Introduces New Screening Technology
(Pittsburgh Magazine, Apr 25, 2024)
The Transportation Security Administration has rolled out the new technology that confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification as well as their flight in real time. This is the latest generation of what’s called Credential Authentication Technology or CAT-2 to verify the identity of travelers with their photo. The new units scan a traveler’s photo ID, confirms the traveler’s identity and flight details and also provide a camera to capture a real-time photo of the traveler.
