Should you give the TSA access to your biometric data? People have continued to debate the dilemma for months now. The question first arose when the Transportation Security Administration made changes in the way its security checkpoints operate at airports. An expert in the field has spoken up to give their two cents on the discussion.
The facial recognition technology is being used at over 238 airports nationwide in America at the moment. Experts and laymen alike have jointly raised concerns over letting the government have access to their biometric data. The facial recognition technology used at security checkpoints to verify passengers’ identities has proven to be much more efficient than manual checks.
Republicans and Liberals alike have expressed skepticism about the technology being used commonly at airports currently. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Louisiana Senator John Neely Kennedy spoke up against the technology not too long ago. In an interview with The Washington Post, Merkley even labelled it as an “instrument of oppression.”
He also noted how the facial recognition ensures that Americans are in a constant “surveillance state.” The technology has been criticized by the masses for being a concern when it comes to people’s privacy.
Jake Parker, the Senior Director of Government Relations of the Security Industry Association (SIA), addressed the topic and revealed his opinion on the widely debated technology. He pointed out how much more efficient the new technology has proven to be.
Parker recalled how, previously, the only way to get through a security checkpoint was for a passenger to undergo a manual identification process. The identification process carried out by a TSA agent required a human to the photo on an ID to the person before their eyes.
🚨 GOODBYE, BOARDING PASS. HELLO, FACIAL RECOGNITION.
Your face isn’t just your ID, it’s now your boarding pass, your tracking number, and your permanent record.
Alaska Airlines just rolled out TSA facial recognition at SEA-TAC. LAX and Portland are next.
No ID. No boarding… pic.twitter.com/4jLgBlTyM4
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) July 3, 2025
Soon after, the technology developed enough for a machine to verify the identity of passengers. Even so, a TSA agent was required to be the one to identify the ID of the passenger manually. “That only gets you so far,” Parker noted.
“So you could have someone who say, is on the terrorist watchlist, obtain a legitimate ID, but under a false identity, and they still might match that identity,” he pointed out.
He went on to note how the new technology will be more efficient when it comes to catching high-risk individuals. Parker shared how individuals known as “impostors” are more likely to be caught thanks to the advanced technology. He explained how “impostors” are people travelling with false documents or IDs.
Not sure who needs to hear this but the TSA is about to roll out facial recognition cameras in over 430 airports around the country and every passenger flying in the US has a right to opt out of having their photo taken.
Biometrics do not make us safer. Do not comply! pic.twitter.com/Ly4Wz6HeD6
— Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) July 24, 2024
The Senior Director also spoke about the technology from a “privacy perspective.” He explained that there was “anything new going on” that would change “privacy expectations.”
He added how the technology used information about “your travel and yourself” that the government already has. He concluded his analysis by calling the facial recognition technology a “more accurate way” of verification.
