Registered Traveler: Difference between revisions

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The Registered Traveler Pilot Program is an airline passenger security assessment system currently being tested in the United States air travel industry. It is in place in several U.S. airports in a voluntary pilot phase. It is the replacement for the CAPPS II counter-terrorism system, which was canceled during its early testing phase.

Overview

The program seeks to identify passengers who pose a minimal security risk, and then allow those passengers to proceed to boarding without more intrusive "secondary screening". Under this system, passengers would submit a battery of personal information to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in order to obtain a "Registered Traveler" identification card for a fee. This card will allow the passenger to proceed through flight check-in with only "primary screening", while individuals who are do not carry the Registered Traveler card must submit to more intrusive secondary screening.

Identifying information

Passengers who participate in this system must first provide uniquely identifying information (name, phone number, home address, and date of birth), then submit to criminal and personal background checks, a retina scan, and fingerprinting. Should the data turn up no indicators of increased risk of terrorism, the TSA will provide the passenger with a Registered Traveler identification card. The card will be a smartcard, containing biometric identifying information to prevent the card from being used by unauthorized persons.

Controversy

This system, like its predecessor, CAPPS II, has come under fire for its privacy implications, as well as its potential effectiveness.

Privacy

On the privacy front, this is far more invasive than CAPPS II, in that it collects biometric information about passengers. While supporters assert that this program is voluntary, critics assert that it is unlikely to remain so. Another major concern is the use of this system for purposes other than counter-terrorism. For example, before it even went into a pilot phase, CAPPS II was already augmented to prohibit the boarding of any passenger with an outstanding arrest warrant for a violent crime.

Effectiveness

Similar to the concerns raised about CAPPS I and CAPPS II, critics point out that any program designed to exclude certain passengers from scrutiny will provide a backdoor for potential terrorists, since they would likely seek Registered Traveler status. This criticism draws on the 9/11 Commission finding that 9 of the 19 hijackers involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks were flagged by the CAPPS I system but were not intercepted, because CAPPS I did not consider passengers without checked baggage to be a bomb threat.

External links

Registered Traveler Pilot Program - The TSA public announcement
TSA Launches Registered Traveler Pilot Program at LAX
Are You Registered, Traveler?

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 ===Privacy===
-On the privacy front, this is far more invasive than CAPPS II, in that it collects biometric information about passengers.  While supporters assert that this program is voluntary, critics assert that it is unlikely to remain so.  Another major concern is the use of this system for purposes other than counter-terrorism.  For example, before it even went into a pilot phase, CAPPS II was already augmented to prohibit the boarding of any passenger with an outstanding arrest warrant for a violent crime.
+On the privacy front, this is far more invasive than CAPPS II, in that it collects biometric information about passengers.  While supporters assert that this program is voluntary, critics assert that it is unlikely to remain so.  Another major concern is the use of this system for purposes other than counter-terrorism.  For example, before it even went into a pilot phase, CAPPS II was already augmented to prohibit the boarding of any passenger with an outstanding [[arrest warrant]] for a violent crime.
 ===Effectiveness===