Politech: Privacy villain of the week: "Registered traveler" program [priv]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Privacy Villain of the Week
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 12:17:49 -0500
From: Consumer Alert <info () consumeralert org>

Privacy Villain of the Week:
'Registered Traveler' enablers

The Transportation Security Administration announced last week that it 
will be initiating a pilot test program of its long-touted "trusted 
traveler,' now rechristened 'registered traveler' program. The program 
will be a 'voluntary' (at the outset, anyway) internal biometric 
passport system set up at airports around the country. 
<http://cryptome.org/tsa031804.txt>

The idea is being sold to potential volunteers on the basis that turning 
over your iris-scan to the Department of Homeland Security will allow 
you to go through a less harassing experience at the airport.
How effective this will be at lessening hassle is unclear, however. The 
majority of the hassle at the airports for travelers comes at the metal 
detector gauntlet where air travel consumers must remove coats, keys, 
often shoes, take their laptop from its case, etc. Yet a TSA spokesman 
told Wired News, "the card is not a 'get out of security checks' card, 
and that those who register will still have to go through metal 
detectors. The program may, however, create designated lanes to speed 
registered travelers past long lines." 
<http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,62777,00.html>
Additionally, with the TSA insisting on pushing the CAPPS II passenger 
screening program, all of them will undergo a background check every 
time they buy an air ticket anyway. So the value of the background check 
a "trusted traveler" goes through is unclear. Even if he has already 
turned his iris over to Sec. Ridge, any future 'anomaly' in his credit 
or phone records could conceivably put him into the special scrutiny 
category that entails more invasive searches.
On the other hand, if TSA is being disingenuous and those who get the 
cards will undergo very little scrutiny, the system would be ripe for 
abuse, particularly by anyone with connections on the inside.
Given all this, it is unclear what the usefulness of the card will be, 
beyond establishing a biometric database for the federal government. The 
only practical effect would seem to be harassment of those who do not 
wish to be scanned and traced, since they will have to wait in longer 
lines to go through identical search procedures.
With what little information that has been put out by TSA so far, the 
program seems to be little more than a backdoor to a national 
biometrically-enabled ID program.
And the required privacy notices for the program have not been issued by 
TSA, which says they "may not" apply since the program is voluntary. The 
dearth of information leaves air travelers even more in the dark as to 
what may lie ahead.
Government's one-size-fits-all programs typically degenerate into 
one-size-fits-none, and security is no different. There may be a place 
for similar programs in a free and private air travel and air security 
market. But TSA is determined that command-and-control supplant market 
processes. Anyone who volunteers to be guinea pigs for this odd 
privacy-destroying program should think twice. There is nothing to 
indicate that surrendering privacy will lead to anything resembling more 
security under such a program. TSA hopes to get 5,000 volunteers for the 
pilot program. Don't do it. We don't need 5,000 unwitting privacy 
villains cultivating this process which deserves to die on the vine.
By James Plummer

The Privacy Villain of the Week and Privacy Hero of the Month are 
projects of the National Consumer Coalition's Privacy Group. Privacy 
Villain audio features occasionally available from FCF News on Demand. 
For more information on the NCC Privacy Group, see www.nccprivacy.org or 
contact James Plummer at 202-467-5809 or via email.  This release 
available online at <http://www.nccprivacy.org/handv/040326villain.htm>
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