Smile! You’re on cam at the airport

Be on the lookout for face-scanning tech next time you fly. Airports in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando and a few other cities are using facial recognition to speed up the security process. Worth it or invasive? Depends on who you ask.

Hurry up and wait

That’s the name of the game when it comes to travel. Wait times are out of control, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says facial recognition tech will make the TSA process much more efficient.

Instead of handing your ID to a person to check, you’ll insert your driver’s license or passport into a card reader. A camera will compare your face to the one on your ID. An agent approves once the screen is done and you are on your merry way.

🛑 Hold on there

TSA says it won’t be required, but several U.S. Senators are still worried about privacy. Senators Jeffrey Merkley, Edward Markey, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders wrote an open letter.

Regardless of politics, I think they make a good point: Most people won’t know they can opt out of the process or know how. They say facial recognition also lacks transparency, consent and encryption. 

What happens if that database is breached? 

You better believe it’s going to be a prime target for hackers. I’m all for convenience (I hate lines, too), but let’s make sure the process is safe and secure, too.

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