WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will require reluctant airlines to give up passenger data to test a controversial passenger-screening system, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
At the same time, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration plans to seek public input to allay concerns that the system will violate passenger privacy, TSA Acting Administrator David Stone told a congressional subcommittee.
As a result, the new Computer Assisted Passenger Profiling System will be delayed by several more months, Stone said. Officials had hoped to begin background checks on passengers by the beginning of 2004.
Posted by John L (Member # 6005) on :
I have nothing to fear, being a white, (dirty) blonde-haired, fairly nice-looking and friendly male, but this sort of thing really sickens me. Even more considering the increased amount of flying I'll be doing over the next couple years.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Of course, the big reason it should be delayed is that so far every incarnation has been shown to have an easy optimum strategy for beating the system.
For instance, one incarnation split passengers into two groups, risks and non-risks. The rate of searches in the non-risks was much lower than the rate of searches in the risks.
To beat that system, just send members of your terrorist cell on several completely innocent flights. Some people did an algorithm analysis, and the results were basically that once a person made three or four flights without being searched it was highly likely they were in the non-risk category -- and thus highly unlikely to be searched (less than current screening procedures, definitely).
So the person who is already known to beat the system gets to carry the stuff that's not allowed aboard.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Hmm, just tried to post a very anti-administration post, and it disappeared.
AHHG: They are coming to take me away......
Actually, what I said was this:
What do Medieval Serfs, Soviet Workers, and all the people that lived in Nazi occupied countries have in common?
Probably a few things, but one was...
They could not legally travel without governmental approval.
Here we have the government getting ready to say who can and cannot travel by air.
Is it for the safety of the passengers?
Then why do they state they are looking for "Crimminals and Terrorists."?
Obviously if they spot a man wanted for axe-murder spree, they will arrest him.
Sounds nice. Nobody with a warrant out, or under suspicion will be allowed to travel by air without the "Homeland Security Department" knowing about it.
Then again, nobody will be able to travel by air without the Homeland Security Department knowing about it.
Anyone that the government, or anyone in the government, sees as threatening could be arrested, tracked, or stopped from using airplanes.
Who could that be? Protesters on their way to a meeting? Political rivals? Business Advisaries? Haliburton wants to keep an upstart company from bidding on a contracr--lobbies a friend in the HSD--and viola, the competitor can't get a flight to DC to make his proposal. Then there are the whistle blowers who won't even be allowed to leave town fast.
This has a large potential for abuse, and no discussion with the public on safegaurds to stop that abuse.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I've got to agree with Dan. Any time we give more power to the already too-powerful federal government, we had better think long and hard about it and make sure that we have a darn good reason.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Employees of the Department of Homeland Security have no whistleblower protection.
Besides airlines, DHS is also obtaining hotel/motel and credit card records. Blackmail, anyone?
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
*shakes head*
Not only is it a faleshood that "It can't happen here"; it is happening here. Right here. Right now.
Posted by Fishtail (Member # 3900) on :
Shows how naive I am. I thought the airlines were already providing all that data. 'Course, I also always wondered why I had to fill out those customs forms whenever I flew in to the US, and who US Customs gave the forms to when they were done with them.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
I have a friend named David Nelson. He has pretty much stopped flying unless he absolutely has to. He has to plan on arriving at least 3 hours ahead of time knowing that he will be subject to interrogation simply because of his name.
I would guess that the terrorists have stopped using the alias David Nelson and moved onto to something else.