TSA starts facial recognition program at Denver International Airport
As possible record-setting crowds fill airports nationwide, passengers may encounter new technology at the security line. At Denver International Airport and 24 other airports in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the TSA is expanding a controversial digital identification program that uses facial recognition.
This comes as the TSA and other divisions of Homeland Security are under pressure from lawmakers to update technology and cybersecurity.
"We view this as better for security, much more efficient, because the image capture is fast and you'll save several seconds, if not a minute," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
The TSA checkpoints use a facial recognition camera system to compare a flyer's face to the picture on their ID in seconds. If there's not a match, the TSA officer is alerted for further review.
"Facial recognition, first and foremost, is much, much more accurate," Pekoske said. "And we've tested this extensively. So we know that it brings the accuracy level close to 100% from mid-80% with just a human looking at a facial match."
The technology is currently voluntary for flyers.
There are skeptics. Five U.S. senators sent a letter demanding that TSA halt the program.
"You don't have to compromise people's biometric security in order to provide physical security at airports," said Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
Pekoske said he agrees with senators in that he wants to protect privacy for every passenger.
"I want to deploy technology that's accurate and doesn't disadvantage anybody," he said.
Privacy advocates worry about the lack of regulations around facial recognition and its tendency to be less accurate with people of color.
Most images are deleted after use, but some information is encrypted and retained for up to 24 months as part of the ongoing review of how the technology performs.