The move to a new screening technology, which the company calls NextGen Identity Plus, also includes stronger verification by comparing identities “back to the point of issue,” the company told The Washington Post. Ta. Clear said he has been working with the Department of Homeland Security and TSA since 2020 to make these changes. Members who paid $189 per year for a Clear Plus subscription will be migrated to the new technology for free.
Just last year, the Transportation Security Administration also announced it would begin using facial recognition technology at airport checkpoints.Other facial recognition systems like those used by law enforcementuses photos taken of unidentified people (sometimes without their explicit consent) and compares them to a large database to find matches.
Clear’s system is different in that it only compares live snapshots taken from travelers using designated Clear airport lanes with registration data in NextGen Identity Plus, the company said in a post. told the paper. Moving from iris and fingerprint scans to facial scans should help customers get through Clear checkpoints faster.
Clear has been in the biometrics business for years in screening operations at airports, arenas, and other public places. But the move to facial recognition could lead to increased surveillance risks and less privacy for travelers, privacy advocates say.
“As someone who flies all the time, it’s really disturbing to see airports transformed into biometric monitoring centers,” said Albert Fox Kahn, the association’s founder and executive director. Surveillance technology monitoring project (Stop).
Adam Schwartz, Director of Privacy Litigation Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) also said he and the organization have been “increasingly alarmed over the years” that biometrics are becoming a common part of flying.
Advances in facial recognition technology mean more potentially dangerous personal information can fall into the wrong hands.San Francisco and bostonhas already banned the use of such technology by police and other government agencies due to privacy, safety, and bias concerns.
TSA has said it does not save photos taken of travelers for facial recognition processing, but Clear did take photos for members to enroll in NextGen Identity Plus to compare with snapshots passengers submit during transit. I plan to save the first photo. Clear lane.
“Biometrics is a particularly dangerous technology for many reasons,” Schwartz said. “You cannot change your biometrics unless you take extreme measures such as burning off your fingerprints or undergoing extreme facial reconstruction surgery. Unlike , our biometrics are for life.”
Schwartz added that “biometrics are generally easy to obtain for adversaries,” but is particularly concerning because “most of us show our faces all the time. [facial recognition] “It could become a way for governments and companies to track us as we move around the world,” he said. In the future, that could mean “your entire airport experience will be tracked, including when you arrive, check-in, inspect your luggage, go to a restaurant, buy a coffee, and board your flight.” No, he said.
Khan also addressed the issue of surveillance, arguing that Clear’s terms of service “give law enforcement almost unfettered access to the data it collects.” When presented with this characterization, Clear called it “totally inaccurate” and said, “Privacy and data security is part of CLEAR’s job. We always work to protect our members and their information. ” he added.
However, Khan cited specific sections of the company. privacy policy It states that members’ personal information may be disclosed “in response to requests by government agencies (such as law enforcement agencies).” Other examples of policies say the company can share information “to prevent physical or other harm or economic loss” or “in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.” There is.
“If CLEAR is required by law to share information with law enforcement, requests for information, such as subpoenas, must go through the appropriate channels,” the company said in an emailed statement. .
Consent brings another complication to the increasing implementation of facial recognition technology. Even if people technically have the option to refuse to participate in such technology (this applies to both Clear and TSA’s facial recognition practices), that is not a viable option for travelers. You may not think so.
Schwartz argued that consent for technologies like Clear “may not be genuine.” He said the use of facial recognition technology by companies like Clear and the TSA means those who opt in are choosing to “get on the plane,” and those who don’t are not on a “level playing field.” . Waiting in a long line.
Even if travelers decline to participate in facial recognition, they may face other hurdles. For example, when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) refused to be photographed by a TSA facial recognition machine this summer, he faced backlash and was told there would be delays if he opted out, his spokesperson said. .
Clear’s recruitment strategy allows travelers to instantly sign up for a paid Clear membership at a convenient Clear security-only lane right next to a standard TSA checkpoint. Khan said the practice raises questions about consent, as people worried about missing their flight due to long security lines may feel forced to register.
“The truth is that too often the ‘voluntary’ choices we make at airports in the estimates are forced,” Khan says. “If the choice is between missing a flight or handing over your data, people are more likely to hand over your data.”
Clear said in an email that the company “operates under strict protocols, guidelines and training programs for our ambassadors with a focus on hospitality and security.” We are confident that our members know what they are signing up for at the airport. ”
People who sign up at the airport are signing up for a free trial, but the company said 88.5% of people who sign up for Clear inside and outside the airport remain members. The company calls this statistic “a reflection of the value of the service we provide.”
Khan isn’t convinced it’s worth it.
“Ultimately, I don’t think so.” [facial recognition] We will do extraordinary things to keep our people safe,” Khan said. “I worry that we are moving ever closer to a world where the price of protecting privacy at the airport is protecting privacy in terms of truly irrational and exhausting delays, or time.”
