TSA Prescreening Passengers Before They Arrive at Airports
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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Flying somewhere? You may not realize it, but the Transportation Security Administration might be screening you — even before you get to the airport.
According to the New York Times, the agency has begun prescreening people in an effort to “streamline the security procedures for millions of passengers who pose no risk.”
The newspaper says the TSA has access to a “wide array of government and private databases,” which can reveal a passenger’s work history, property records, physical characteristics and past travel itineraries, among other information.
While the agency says the collection of passengers’ data before they arrive at the airport complies with government regulations, civil liberties groups worry this means extra scrutiny for people who don’t necessarily deserve it.
The TSA has not publicly announced the details of its prescreening program.
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