TSA warns of second change at security checkpoints that allows flyers to skip a step – but you still need to be prepared ...Middle East

THE TSA has launched a big tech change at an airport’s security to help flyers speed through the checkpoint.

But travelers worried about protecting their privacy can opt out of the process.

Flyers are now undergoing a new security screening process at Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The airport is using an improved form of credential authentication technology called CAT-2, reported WFMZ-TV.

The units are equipped with cameras on tablets, and are used to match the face of the person standing at the checkpoint with the face that appears on the traveler’s ID such as the person’s driver’s license or passport.

This is to verify passengers – and stamp out the use of fraudulent documents at the security checkpoint.

Its launch comes days before the May 7 deadline for using REAL ID compliant licenses when flying.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said the tech confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification, and their flight information in real time.

That allows travelers to go through the checkpoint without ever exchanging a boarding pass, the TSA said.

It explained, “The system also confirms the passenger’s flight status by verifying that the individual is ticketed to fly out of an airport on that same day.”

CAT-2 units can tap into what is referred to as a “library” of IDs programed into them.

This enables the technology to authenticate more than 2,500 different types of IDs.

IDs in the library include passports, military common access cards, Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler ID cards, uniformed services ID cards, permanent resident cards, U.S. visas and driver’s licenses and photo IDs issued by state motor vehicle departments.

The CAT-2 is “equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler,” said the organization.

It added, “Once the CAT-2 confirms the match, a TSA officer verifies, and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint, without ever exchanging a boarding pass. The photo is then deleted.”

But the tech has prompted concern about privacy issues.

Jennifer King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, told Huff Post the TSA has been “a little vague about what they were doing with the data.”

Explaining that she always declines such face scans, she added, “I’m sure that the dream of enforcement agencies would be to be able to track people in real time based on something like facial recognition.”

Applying for a REAL ID

The process varies by state, but residents will need a few documents to apply for a REAL ID before the deadline.

No matter the state, the application process can be started online by scanning and uploading the necessary documents, basic information, and Social Security numbers. Once submitted and reviewed, an in-person visit to the DMV or your state’s department agency is necessary for an attendant to verify the documents.

From there, a thumbprint will be recorded in the system, and a photo will be issued for the ID before it’s mailed.

The documents needed are those that show:

Source: Department of Homeland Security

However, the TSA said, “Photos captured by CAT-2 units are never stored or used for any other purpose than immediate identity verification.

“Travelers who do not wish to participate in the facial matching process can opt out in favor of an alternative identity verification process.”

Gerardo Spero, the TSA’s federal security director for Pennsylvania and Delaware, said, “We just want to ensure that you are who you say you are.

“It increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger’s identification.”

CHECK-IN

Be warned, though, that even with the use of these units, travelers still need to check-in with their airline in advance.

Flyers should also still bring their boarding pass to their gate to show airline reps before boarding their flight.

On May 7, the TSA will no longer accept state-issued identifications that are not REAL ID compliant.

A REAL ID is a driver’s license or other state-issued ID that meets security requirements mandated in a 2005 law passed following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But there could be mayhem as passengers have been warned they risk being denied access to flights if they fail to meet strict identification rules.

Congress in 2005 approved new, stricter federal standards for issuing identification cards. Enforcement has been pushed back repeatedly.

The TSA said that passengers 18 or older without passports or the enhanced ID “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.”

It screened 904 million passengers in 2024, which was a record high and a 5% increase over 2023.

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