Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a longtime leader in sounding the alarm on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)’s use of facial recognition technology—issued the following statement on his Traveler Privacy Protection Act:
“No one should be required to have their face scanned to travel, and no government should have the power of a national surveillance system at its fingertips. Our Traveler Privacy Protection Act would preserve passengers’ right to use an approved document—like a driver’s license—to travel by air. In addition, it would require signage to inform passengers of that right and protect the data collected from abuse.
“I remain committed to protecting Americans’ privacy and freedom. I will continue to advance bipartisan solutions to safeguard the rights of the millions of passengers traveling through America’s airports every day. I will continue to push for committee consideration of this critical legislation, and work with stakeholders to ensure this practical approach can be advanced.”
Merkley introduced the bipartisan Traveler Privacy Protection Act with Louisiana’s U.S. Senator John Kennedy, Massachusetts’ U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey, and Kansas’ U.S. Senator Roger Marshall as the TSA plans to expand facial recognition technology to more than 430 airports across the country. The agency has said it has plans to eventually make this technology mandatory for all travelers.
A new report from the Algorithmic Justice League found that out of 420 traveler-submitted experiences, half of passengers did not report seeing TSA signage and 67 percent of passengers who opted out of TSA facial recognition technology have encountered issues. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act remains crucial for air-travel passengers and would be a significant win for consumers.
Merkley has led the charge in sounding the alarm on TSA’s use of facial recognition technology. He led a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to launch an investigation into the TSA’s use of this technology. He also pushed then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and then-Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to take up this privacy issue in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act last year. Merkley has documented his own experience “opting out” of this optional program, traveling from D.C. to Portland.
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