A group of 12 bipartisan senators has called for an investigation into the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) expanding use of facial recognition technology at U.S. airports, citing major privacy and civil liberty concerns.
The senators expressed alarm about TSA's plans to roll out facial scanning at over 430 airports nationwide, despite the lack of independent evaluation of the technology's accuracy and privacy protections. Their urgent request comes as millions of Americans prepare for holiday travel.
While TSA maintains that facial recognition screening remains optional, the senators report receiving multiple complaints about TSA officers becoming hostile when travelers attempt to opt out. They also noted that signs informing passengers of their right to decline face scans are often placed in hard-to-notice locations.
The lawmakers highlighted concerning technical issues, pointing out that TSA's own data shows a three percent false negative rate. At full nationwide deployment, this could mean approximately 68,000 daily errors in passenger identification.
"This technology will soon be in use at hundreds of major and mid-size airports without an independent evaluation of the technology's precision or an audit of whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect passenger privacy," the senators stated in their letter.
The bipartisan group, including Senators Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), requested the TSA Inspector General evaluate several aspects of the program. They want to know if facial recognition has actually reduced passenger delays, prevented restricted individuals from boarding planes, or demonstrated any concrete security benefits.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske's 2023 statement that the agency aims to "require biometrics across the board" has intensified concerns about the program's future scope. The senators noted that TSA has failed to provide evidence showing that facial recognition has helped detect fraudulent identity documents.
Travelers who wish to avoid facial recognition can still opt out by verbally declining and presenting traditional identification documents like a driver's license or passport for manual verification.