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The Transportation Security Administration announced this week that it would continue a pilot program in 2005 that allows people to voluntarily submit their biographical and biometric information in order to speed through airport screening operations.

The Registered Traveler pilot program operates at five airports across the country, allowing participants to avoid sometimes lengthy screening lines by passing through a kiosk that asks for biometric information, such as a fingerprint or iris scan. Critics, however, remain concerned about how TSA will manage the program and ensure privacy, how passengers can resolve disputes, whether the effort will really improve security and how much the program will cost.

"TSA plans to continue to conduct a pilot technology program in 2005, in a limited number of airports, to test and evaluate the merits of the Registered Traveler concept," the agency announced Tuesday in a Federal Register notice.

The administration anticipates as many as 40,000 people to register. It also plans to conduct a representative survey of participants in 2005, and interview key stakeholders at select airports. All surveys and interviews will be voluntary and anonymous.

Under the program, participants voluntarily give TSA their personal information, including name, address, phone number and date of birth, along with biometric data. TSA then conducts a security assessment on each person that includes analysis of law enforcement and intelligence databases, and a check for outstanding warrants. Once approved for the program, participants get to pass through an expedited security checkpoint at airports.

"As far as things from a passenger standpoint, there are many questions to answer," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, which represents corporate business travelers. "It really comes down to what is this going to cost, what will the benefit be on average, and will there be enough of a marketplace for it so that it reaches a critical mass and makes a difference?"

Mitchell said the pilot programs appear to be working. He questioned, though, how TSA would manage a larger Registered Traveler program. For example, if only a small percentage of travelers register, then TSA will have to devote resources to an area that is not having much benefit. On the other hand, if the program is widely successful, then Registered Traveler lines might get so long that they draw resources away from regular screening lanes.

With regard to cost, Mitchell questioned how much travelers will eventually have to pay to participate. He also questioned whether the government will subsidize the program with taxpayer money, which might open up legal complications.

"The first time someone who's not well off sees this line and knows that he or she can't afford $150, but their tax monies are subsidizing the line, you're going to have people jumping all over it," he said. "It's not a very simple issue once you start peeling away at it."

Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Technology and Liberty Program, expressed concern about how data for the program will be used, managed and shared, and how passengers can resolve discrepancies.

"The concerns remain the same," Steinhardt said. "What's going to happen with all the data being collected, and are they going to expand Registered Traveler to a bigger program?"

COMMENTS

• "Whereever do all those dorks come from and why do we so readily elect them? Vote for whomever you like, but PLEASE think about your vote and what it means for America!" The real problem with our government is that the two parties do not provide us with anyone of quality and character to vote for! In Nov you will have a choice of dork one or dork two (where is Dr Suess?)! I suggest that you vote but abstain from voting for the presidential candidates as a protest against the choice of two dorks! Maybe a vote for Nader would be helpful but many states will not allow him on the ballot (great free election we have - write him in). Maybe we should outsource the President's job to contractors made up of the fortune top five companies with each CEO spending one year in the hot seat and making the decisions. The two dorks running covered only Iraq for the most part (Iran and Korea also mentioned) in a debate on foreign policy! Where was discussion of trade, what about China, where are the jobs going and why, what is the real role of NATO that is obsolete and should go, what about the World Bank and IMF, what is the role of the UN, why is the spanish speaking minority becoming the majority, is the crusade in the middle east of any specific benefit to the USA, etc. tax payer Posted October 5, 2004 7:19 AM
• What? A $150 to register, take mine out of the $600 million Loy and Ridge kept for salaries. Once again, the contract for hiring screeners was for $105 million. It cost taxpayers $700 million. But maybe the criminals (1200+) could steal it from honest fliers. You know, the felons Loy got a promotion for doing just that... What a disgrace! WATCHDOGS 905 GovExec.com reader Posted September 26, 2004 9:19 PM
• Nevermind all the privacy and equity issues this idea raises, how am I any safer? How do I know that a pre-screened/pedigreed traveler has not suffered an otherwise unknown mental breakdown? Perhaps they are under duress? Maybe they are simply under the influence of an intoxicating substance? Any of those scenarios may result in a Tom Ridge "pedigreed human being" doing something harmful to flight safety... how about a tatoo on the butt, backed-up with a chip implant (like they have for dogs) and special papers? At least Georgie, Rummy, Ridge and the other power lusting security types would be happy! Whereever do all those dorks come from and why do we so readily elect them? Vote for whomever you like, but PLEASE think about your vote and what it means for America! GovExec.com reader Posted September 24, 2004 12:33 PM