posted in Technology
DHS Inspector General Finds That TSA is Not Properly Safeguarding Passenger Facial Recognition Data
www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/10/dhs-inspector-general-finds-tsa-not-properly-safeguarding-passenger-facial
Replying to @NightOwl@lemmy.ca
If you are at a US airport, you will be made to feel like you need to scan your face. The TSA agent will say, “look at the camera” like there’s no choice. You don’t need to. Always just say “opt-out.” That’s all you need to do.
They will check your ID and use their eyeballs to compare it to your face, taking all of 10 extra seconds, and safeguarding your privacy a little bit more.
These types of security issues are inevitable, and the only way to win this game is to not play.
From the article:
Reminder: Opting Out of TSA Photos Is Possible Given that facial recognition technology is prone to mistakes, combined with the OIG’s audit revealing significant privacy weaknesses, it is imperative that travelers remember that opting out is possible. TSA’s own website emphasizes that travelers who wish to decline to have their photo taken for facial comparison can do so without any delay, disruption, or recourse.
Replying to @NekoKoneko@lemmy.world
Unfortunately I wasn’t born with enough privilege to attempt to question a tsa agent. I get randomly selected enough as it is.
Replying to @bantering@lemmy.zip
I empathize and if that’s the way you feel, that’s understandable.
But I’d recommend to try it, even if your feelings suggest it’s just going to make trouble. As noted, there is an explicit non-discretionary optional policy for it and TSA agents - even if they’re trying to make the photo seem like the only choice - get a ton of opt-outs every day and it’s probably not going to (for the moment) trigger retribution. (I say this traveling with non-white people and never seeing them get secondarily screened later in the process, or more so than me anyway - but yes, I’m speaking from a place of privilege so could be wrong.)
Replying to @bantering@lemmy.zip
before I started being openly transgender… I never got that “randomly selected extra screening” not even after my surgery which had me on crutches.
now… I always get that random screening. every time. and my legs are a bit bowed. so they always bitch about my legs not being perfectly straight even when I’m wearing shorts and they can see my knees. and the white dust that I always pick up leaning against airport walls… is always magically drugs even when the dog doesn’t react.