New Biometric ID System Being Implemented in US Airports

A new way to get through airport security has been certified as a “qualified anti-terrorism technology” by the Department of Homeland Security and is now being used by over 5 million people at airports across the country.

CLEAR is an identification technology that incorporates a series of questions and the use of biometrics to “clear” a person to move past the airport lines and go directly to the TSA screening line. CLEAR spokesperson David Cohen describes how it works:

They validate their identity using a knowledge-based quiz, they use a government identification that’s validated using technology, and then we link it to their bio-metrics — we take 10 fingerprints with a digital reader, we take a scan of their iris, and we take a high-res photo of their face.

CLEAR has now been deployed in 17 airports, and it will cost travelers $179 annually.

It should be considered that the airport may not keep your records private. Once your biometrics are recorded in the CLEAR database, this information can be sold to third-party companies for use in malls, train stations or department stores.

CLEAR could be the “soft sell” strategy to incentivize travelers to provide this information for convenience so that it could be used to identify individuals everywhere they go.