NEWS
TSA launches new touchless ID for faster security checks at Sunport
The new program, available to TSA PreCheck members, uses facial comparison to get travelers through checkpoints faster
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Travelers hoping to get out of line and into the skies faster have a new way to get through security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration has announced.
The process 鈥� TSA PreCheck Touchless ID 鈥� uses facial comparison technology to verify a traveler鈥檚 identity in seconds.
鈥淚t speeds things up,鈥� TSA Acting Federal Security Director Maggie Santiago said Thursday in sa国际传媒官网网页入口. 鈥淒uring times when travel is booming, lines can be long at checkpoints. The advantage is bypassing the regular queue, going to the designated touchless queue and processing right through.鈥�
The program began in mid-February during the partial government shutdown, when roughly 50,000 TSA agents nationwide worked without pay.
The shutdown affected security lines across the country, causing travelers to miss flights.
To use Touchless ID, travelers must be enrolled in TSA PreCheck, which costs about $80 for a five-year membership. Existing TSA PreCheck members can opt into the program for free. Travelers also must have an airline rewards account, such as Southwest Airlines鈥� Rapid Rewards program, to participate.
The program also requires travelers to upload valid passport information to their airline profile, according to the TSA website.
Travelers can then opt in through participating airlines, including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, among others.
Once enrolled, travelers look into a camera at a designated Touchless ID lane. The photo is compared with the passport photo uploaded online. Once a match is confirmed, travelers can proceed through security.
For travelers with privacy and security concerns, Santiago said TSA developed the technology with security protections in mind.
鈥淭he photos last for a 24-hour period, and the only reason the photo is stored is in case your flight gets canceled and you have to process through the checkpoint more than once,鈥� Santiago said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not saving it long term, we鈥檙e not putting it in a database and we鈥檙e not using it for anything other than processing somebody for that flight,鈥� she added.
The process is available at 65 airports, including the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Sunport, according to the TSA website.
Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.
