EPIC et al. Call on Congress to Codify Protections for Travelers From TSA Facial Recognition

EPIC, ACLU, Fight for the Future, and the Project on Government Oversight put their support behind S. 1691, the Traveler Privacy Protection Act (TPPA), which is due for markup today by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In a letter to the committee leadership and members, EPIC et al. stated that the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) “deployment of facial recognition technology has been subject to little oversight and few legal safeguards.” The TPPA would codify a traveler’s ability to opt-out of facial recognition identity verification and prevent TSA from mandating facial recognition. The bill would also ensure that travelers who opt out of facial recognition are not subject to adverse treatment and prohibit TSA from expanding the use of facial recognition beyond identity verification. TSA’s use of facial recognition is more dangerous than you think and Congress must implement proper protections for travelers.