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dragon2fire · 01-12-2004, 02:57 PM

if this is not invasion of privacy i dont know what is

bad bad bad

i will say more later

TRANSPORTATION
Airline security to be raised

All passengers in U.S. will be scrutinized

By SARA KEHAULANI GOO
Washington Post
1/12/2004

WASHINGTON - Despite stiff resistance from airlines and privacy advocates, the U.S. government plans to push ahead this year with a vast computerized system to probe the backgrounds of all passengers boarding flights in the United States.

The government will compel airlines and airline reservations companies to hand over all passenger records for scrutiny by U.S. officials after failing to win cooperation in the program's testing phase. The order could be issued as soon as next month.

Under the system, all travelers passing through a U.S. airport will be scored with a number and a color that ranks their perceived threat to the aircraft.

Another program will be introduced this year that seeks to speed frequent fliers through security lines in exchange for volunteering personal information to the government.

The two initiatives will augment a system introduced last week to fingerprint and photograph millions of foreign visitors on arrival in the United States.

Privacy and consumer advocates worry that both new programs could be discriminatory because they subject airline passengers to different levels of scrutiny.

Certain travelers, such as non-U.S. citizens, could face additional questioning under the program known as CAPPS 2, or the second version of the Computer Assisted Passenger PreScreening Program, some organizations say.

Business travelers who typically pay high prices for their seats will likely get an easier pass through security in the "registered traveler" program.

Privacy advocates say they are most concerned about CAPPS 2, which would replace the airlines' existing computer screening system.

The Transportation Security Administration believes that the current system is based on old assumptions about terrorists, flagging passengers, for instance, who paid with cash or bought one-way tickets. Passengers targeted for additional screening commonly find an SSS or *** designation on their boarding pass.

The agency said the new computerized system will provide a more thorough approach to screening passengers. It will collect a traveler's full name, home address and telephone number, date of birth and travel itinerary. The information will be fed into large databases, such as Lexis-Nexis and Acxiom, that tap public records and commercial computer banks, such as shopping mailing lists, to verify that passengers are who they say they are.

Once a passenger is identified, the CAPPS 2 system will compare that traveler against wanted criminals and suspected terrorists contained in other databases.

The two-step process will result in a numerical and color score for each passenger. A "red" rating means a passenger will be prohibited from boarding. "Yellow" indicates a passenger will receive additional scrutiny at the checkpoint, and a "green" rating paves the way for a standard trip through security.

Also factored into each person's score will be intelligence about certain routes and airports where there might be higher risks to security.

Although it is unclear how many passengers will fit into each category, the agency said its best estimation is that 5 percent of travelers will be flagged yellow or red, compared with an estimated 15 percent of passengers who are flagged under the current CAPPS 1.

The registered traveler program, also known as "trusted traveler," has been a favorite of the airline industry since the terrorist attacks in 2001. The first leader of the agency declined to pursue the idea, saying he worried that terrorists in "sleeper cells" could establish themselves as trusted residents over a period of years and later exploit their status to hijack planes.

Now under new leadership, the agency will begin testing the program at selected airports with $5 million in Congressional funding. Officials say the program could enhance security because the pool of those who need to be assessed would be reduced by the background checks each passenger would undergo. The agency declined to say how the program would work except that it would be voluntary and that registered passengers would not skip security screening altogether.

"It's not as though the person who goes through the checkpoint won't be going through a basic level of screening," said David M. Stone, the acting administrator.

But privacy experts are skeptical. Registered traveler is "going to create two classes of airline travelers," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes both programs. Registered traveler, he said, "has no security benefits. Terrorists will learn one way or another to game the system."

The agency's first airline partner to test CAPPS 2, Delta Air Lines, backed out after privacy advocates put up a Web site encouraging passengers to boycott the airline. The European Union, whose passengers would also be rated and screened, have said the system would violate EU privacy laws, but it has allowed the agency to use passenger data for testing purposes.

In September, JetBlue Airways was sued in several states by passengers after the airline admitted it had turned over passenger data for a military project related to aviation security. The agency has since been unable to find an airline to help the agency test CAPPS 2 and will now have to resort to coercion to get the reservation data.

01-12-2004, 02:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
dragon2fire Junkie	capps 2 if this is not invasion of privacy i dont know what is bad bad bad i will say more later TRANSPORTATION Airline security to be raised All passengers in U.S. will be scrutinized By SARA KEHAULANI GOO Washington Post 1/12/2004 WASHINGTON - Despite stiff resistance from airlines and privacy advocates, the U.S. government plans to push ahead this year with a vast computerized system to probe the backgrounds of all passengers boarding flights in the United States. The government will compel airlines and airline reservations companies to hand over all passenger records for scrutiny by U.S. officials after failing to win cooperation in the program's testing phase. The order could be issued as soon as next month. Under the system, all travelers passing through a U.S. airport will be scored with a number and a color that ranks their perceived threat to the aircraft. Another program will be introduced this year that seeks to speed frequent fliers through security lines in exchange for volunteering personal information to the government. The two initiatives will augment a system introduced last week to fingerprint and photograph millions of foreign visitors on arrival in the United States. Privacy and consumer advocates worry that both new programs could be discriminatory because they subject airline passengers to different levels of scrutiny. Certain travelers, such as non-U.S. citizens, could face additional questioning under the program known as CAPPS 2, or the second version of the Computer Assisted Passenger PreScreening Program, some organizations say. Business travelers who typically pay high prices for their seats will likely get an easier pass through security in the "registered traveler" program. Privacy advocates say they are most concerned about CAPPS 2, which would replace the airlines' existing computer screening system. The Transportation Security Administration believes that the current system is based on old assumptions about terrorists, flagging passengers, for instance, who paid with cash or bought one-way tickets. Passengers targeted for additional screening commonly find an SSS or *** designation on their boarding pass. The agency said the new computerized system will provide a more thorough approach to screening passengers. It will collect a traveler's full name, home address and telephone number, date of birth and travel itinerary. The information will be fed into large databases, such as Lexis-Nexis and Acxiom, that tap public records and commercial computer banks, such as shopping mailing lists, to verify that passengers are who they say they are. Once a passenger is identified, the CAPPS 2 system will compare that traveler against wanted criminals and suspected terrorists contained in other databases. The two-step process will result in a numerical and color score for each passenger. A "red" rating means a passenger will be prohibited from boarding. "Yellow" indicates a passenger will receive additional scrutiny at the checkpoint, and a "green" rating paves the way for a standard trip through security. Also factored into each person's score will be intelligence about certain routes and airports where there might be higher risks to security. Although it is unclear how many passengers will fit into each category, the agency said its best estimation is that 5 percent of travelers will be flagged yellow or red, compared with an estimated 15 percent of passengers who are flagged under the current CAPPS 1. The registered traveler program, also known as "trusted traveler," has been a favorite of the airline industry since the terrorist attacks in 2001. The first leader of the agency declined to pursue the idea, saying he worried that terrorists in "sleeper cells" could establish themselves as trusted residents over a period of years and later exploit their status to hijack planes. Now under new leadership, the agency will begin testing the program at selected airports with $5 million in Congressional funding. Officials say the program could enhance security because the pool of those who need to be assessed would be reduced by the background checks each passenger would undergo. The agency declined to say how the program would work except that it would be voluntary and that registered passengers would not skip security screening altogether. "It's not as though the person who goes through the checkpoint won't be going through a basic level of screening," said David M. Stone, the acting administrator. But privacy experts are skeptical. Registered traveler is "going to create two classes of airline travelers," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes both programs. Registered traveler, he said, "has no security benefits. Terrorists will learn one way or another to game the system." The agency's first airline partner to test CAPPS 2, Delta Air Lines, backed out after privacy advocates put up a Web site encouraging passengers to boycott the airline. The European Union, whose passengers would also be rated and screened, have said the system would violate EU privacy laws, but it has allowed the agency to use passenger data for testing purposes. In September, JetBlue Airways was sued in several states by passengers after the airline admitted it had turned over passenger data for a military project related to aviation security. The agency has since been unable to find an airline to help the agency test CAPPS 2 and will now have to resort to coercion to get the reservation data.