WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology speak Transportation Safety Administrationexpressing concern about privacy and civil liberties of travelers.
In a letter On Thursday, the group of 14 lawmakers called on Senate leaders to use the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration as a way to limit TSA’s use of technology so Congress can put in place some oversight.
“This technology poses significant threats to our privacy and civil liberties, and Congress should prohibit the development and deployment of facial recognition tools by the TSA until there is robust congressional oversight.” , wrote the senators.
The effort was led by Sense. Jeff MerkleyGolden., John KennedyR-La., and Roger MarshallR-Kan.
FAA Reauthorization is one of the last must-pass bills in this Congress. The agency regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the country’s airspace.
The TSA, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has deployed facial recognition technology at some airports as a pilot project. Travelers place their driver’s license in a slot that reads the card or hold their photo ID against a card reader. Then they look at a camera on an iPad-sized screen that captures their image and compares it to their ID. The technology verifies that travelers at the airport match the ID they present and that that ID is real. A TSA agent approves the screening.
The agency says the system improves the accuracy of identity verification without slowing passengers’ speed through checkpoints.
Passengers can opt out, although David Pekoske, the TSA administrator, said last year that ultimately, biometrics would be necessary because they are more effective and efficient. He gave no timetable.
Critics have raised questions about how the data is collected, who has access to it and what happens if it is hacked. Privacy advocates worry about possible bias in the algorithms and say it is not clear enough to passengers that they are not required to undergo facial recognition.
“It is clear that we are at a critical juncture,” the senators wrote. “The reach of government use of facial recognition on Americans will expand exponentially under the TSA’s plans, with little or no public discourse or congressional oversight.”
