EPIC to Congress: Funding for TSA Facial Recognition Program Must Be Halted

EPIC has sent a statement to the House Appropriations Committee regarding the TSA's FY2020 budget request, urging Congress to suspend the "Biometric Entry-Exit" program until privacy safeguards are established. EPIC said Congress should halt funding for TSA's facial recognition program "until CBP establishes proper privacy assessments, policies and procedures, and oversight mechanisms." EPIC recently filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to determine whether travelers are able to to opt-out of facial recognition at airports. According to the CBP, the "alternative screening procedures" allow travelers to provide identification documents, such as a passport, and avoid facial recognition, which "is not mandatory for U.S. citizens." But research by EPIC indicates that CBP has made it increasingly difficult for travelers to opt-out.