Biometrics and Privacy: The Expansion of TSA's Facial Recognition Program in Airports

Biometrics and Privacy: The Expansion of TSA's Facial Recognition Program in Airports
Short Title	TSA Facial Recognition: Privacy Debate
Location	United States
Date	June 5, 2023
Solove Harm	Surveillance, Identification
Information	Biometric data
Threat Actors	Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Individuals
Affected	Airline passengers subjected to facial recognition scans at airports.
High Risk Groups	Passengers whose biometric data may be inaccurately identified due to biases in facial recognition technology.
Tangible Harms	Invasion of privacy, Discrimination, Unwarranted Scrutiny, Potential for identity theft, Misidentification

Concerns about data security, privacy and bias are brought up by the TSA's airport facial recognition technology, especially for passengers from groups that are minority.

Description

Significant privacy and ethical concerns have been raised by the TSA's decision to extend its facial recognition technology at airports, as reported by CBS News. The initiative has a number of possible problems that could impact a wide range of individuals, despite its clear objectives of improving security and improving passenger identification, privacy violation is the main source of concern. The implementation of face recognition technology by the TSA, in association with many businesses, exposes travelers to a great deal of surveillance. The extensive collection and analysis of biometric data puts people's right to privacy at danger from misuse or illegal access. There is also a significant concern about the technology's vulnerability to biases and mistakes, particularly with regard to racial and gender inequities. These prejudices increase injustices in society by causing false identifications, discrimination or unjustified scrutiny of minority groups. It emphasizes how urgently strict regulations are needed to guarantee accuracy and justice in the usage of technology. The possibility of security flaws and data breaches is another important factor. Since any breach could lead to identity theft and the exploitation of personal data, the TSA and its partners must maintain the highest level of security to shield this information from external cyberattacks or internal fraud. In conclusion, there are hazards associated with the TSA's expansion of its facial recognition program for a number of passenger groups, especially those from minority backgrounds. To successfully address these concerns, it is essential to develop strong privacy safeguards, ethical principles, and open governance when implementing such technologies in public settings.

Sources

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-facial-recognition-program-airports-expands/