A bipartisan group of senators is pushing to halt the expansion of facial recognition technology at U.S. airports and restrict its use as part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill making its way through Congress.
Citing privacy concerns, Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, propose blocking the technology’s expansion until 2027 and requiring the transportation security administrator to make clear that passengers can opt out. participate in airports where it is allowed. In use.
With Friday’s deadline to renew the aviation law, the proposal is among the amendments likely to get a vote before the bill can be passed. It has pitted privacy advocates from both parties against consumer and industry groups who argue that the technology has the potential to greatly reduce wait times at airports and increase convenience and security.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to expand facial recognition technology to more than 430 airports, out of 25, as part of an effort to speed up the check-in process. Using kiosks with iPads attached, passengers have their photos taken and compared to an image from a government database instead of presenting a physical ID card.
Merkley said he became concerned about the technology after finding it at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. While a facial scan is optional, many passengers feel pressured to comply, she said.
The senator often insists on his right to refuse facial scanning, but said some airport security workers objected. Until recently, he said, there was no sign clearly indicating that passengers are not required to scan their faces at security checkpoints.
“Because I made such a fuss about it, they put up a little postcard that said this is optional, but what you really see is an iPad that says ‘follow instructions’ or ‘follow orders,’” Merkley said. “So people just don’t think they have this option. They are afraid of being arrested. “People are nervous.”
The U.S. Travel Association is sounding the alarm about the amendment, arguing it would create a “severe and concerning scenario for travelers.”
Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the association, said the proposal to crack down on facial recognition technology at airports was “dangerous, costly and threatens to create chaos at America’s airports.”
“Eliminating the use of biometric data, such as face scanners, will set the United States back decades,” he said, “and only misinformed members of Congress are to blame.”
If facial recognition software is not expanded, the travel lobby says passengers will end up waiting an extra 120 million hours in security lines each year. The U.S. Travel Association also says not using the technology could pose national security risks.
Merkley rejected the criticism, saying his amendment simply preserved the status quo.
“How does this create a delay? We are just freezing what is there now,” she said. “We think it’s an important issue for Congress to deal with.”
Merkley, who as a state lawmaker in Oregon sought to curb the use of red-light cameras and cellphone tracking, said his focus on facial recognition at airports arose from a number of civil liberties concerns. No American should be forced to have their photograph taken without their consent, he said, adding that he was concerned that the government would build a growing database of Americans’ faces that could be misused. He also argued that the technology was inaccurate and had unacceptable error rates.
“I come from rural Oregon, so I’ve always been a little concerned that the government has too much ability to track people,” Merkley said.
Merkley and Kennedy were among 14 senators who recently sent a letter to Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, outlining their concerns.
“This technology poses significant threats to our privacy and civil liberties, and Congress should prohibit TSA’s development and deployment of facial recognition tools until rigorous congressional oversight occurs,” the letter said. It was signed by a mix of lawmakers from both parties, including some prominent liberals and Republicans known for their work on civil liberties issues.
Schumer included the amendment on a list of proposals that would need to be voted on before the bill is passed, but has not publicly taken a position on the matter.
Kennedy said he was particularly concerned that government workers could abuse the data after scanning millions of faces each day. “Unless Congress reins in this program through our amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill, I fear bureaucrats will begin confiscating and hoarding the biometric data of millions of travelers without explicit permission,” he said in a statement.
Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of the progressive group Public Citizen, has been pushing for the amendment.
“They’re touting this as something that makes travel safer or more efficient, but there’s really no data or evidence for that,” he said. “And there are real ramifications for travelers’ privacy and how their data is used.”