(TNS) — Transportation Security Administration officers at Buffalo Niagara International Airport are using new facial recognition technology to crack down on passengers using fake IDs and verify travelers' information.
The credential authentication technology, called CAT-2, similar to the devices it replaces scans travelers' photo IDs to verify their identity and flight status, but also includes a camera that can take a photo of the traveler in real time.
“This cutting-edge technology will help us know with certainty who is on our planes,” said Bert R. Johnson, TSA's federal security director for upstate New York.
At TSA checkpoints, CAT-2 units are equipped with cameras on tablets that take a photo of the traveler. The technology then compares the real-time photo to the photo on the traveler's ID (driver's license or passport). Contactless units allow passengers to insert their ID into a slot for authentication, speeding up the process.
The CAT-2 units are programmed with a “library” of IDs, and the technology allows it to authenticate more than 2,500 types of ID, including passports, military common access cards, Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler ID cards, uniformed military ID cards, permanent resident cards, U.S. visas, driver's licenses and photo IDs issued by state Departments of Motor Vehicles.
Passenger volume increases at Buffalo Airport during the summer, averaging 7,000 to 7,500 passengers a day, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
Farbstein added that on May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, a record 2.95 million passengers were screened by the TSA at airports nationwide, the most in the agency's 22-year history.
“We expect to see more over the summer,” she said. “The time it takes to use this new technology is about the same as other methods, about three to five seconds, to authenticate someone. We're really looking for fake IDs.”
If the device matches the photo, TSA officers will proceed with the verification and allow the traveler through the checkpoint without needing to show a boarding pass, after which the real-time photo will be deleted.
The technology also helps detect any discrepancies with passengers, such as dates of birth, expiry dates, biometrics, etc. If agents spot a fake ID, they will seek the assistance of law enforcement officials to verify the identity of the person holding the document.
Travelers can decline to have their photo taken and request a different identity verification process. The tablet screen will show that the camera is off, but the agent will still scan the traveler's ID to verify flight status, name, and date of birth. The agent then verifies the traveler's identity with a photo of the ID.
Before TSA screening, travelers must check in with their airline in advance and present their boarding pass at the designated gate to board the plane.
The Associated Press reported that CAT technology has also been criticized, as many people worry about the bias of facial recognition technology and the potential for it to affect passengers who do not want their photograph taken.
In February 2023, five U.S. senators (four Democrats and one independent) called on the agency in a letter to end the program, citing concerns it would exacerbate racial discrimination.
The Associated Press reported that the TSA denies any discrimination based on age, sex, race or ethnicity.
According to the TSA's 2023 report, the agency screened more than 858 million passengers and deployed more than 2,000 CAT and CAT-2 machines across the country.
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