TSA introduces new facial recognition tech at Seattle airport to speed security screening
Facial recognition technology intended to speed the security screening process is being introduced at TSA checkpoints at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration said in a news release this week that the latest-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units can help verify the identity of travelers quicker and more accurately than human agents comparing a face to an ID.
Equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of a traveler, the CAT-2 units compare the traveler’s photo on their ID against the in-person photo using facial matching technology. The units go beyond first-generation machines which scan a traveler’s photo ID, confirm the individual is ticketed for travel and detect counterfeit IDs.
The biometric technology analyzes a person’s unique facial features, such as the distance between their eyes and the curvature of their chin, according to KING5. Changes in appearance such as facial hair or weight loss/gain won’t affect the tech’s ability to make a match.
TSA said that photos captured by a CAT-2 unit are “never stored or used for any other purpose than immediate identity verification.” And travelers can opt out of the process in favor of an alternative ID verification process.
In 2021, the Port of Seattle Commission voted to ban the use of biometric technology for surveillance and security purposes by government and law enforcement on all its properties, including SEA Airport. That ban did not include voluntary facial recognition systems.
The use of facial recognition technology and more widespread adoption of biometrics for air travel is spreading to more U.S. airports. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported on the coming changes, and cited experts who believe “the future of air travel is one where facial recognition will be used throughout the entire airport journey: bag drop, boarding, even entering lounges and purchasing items at retail stores within the airport.”
Individual airlines are already taking matters into their own hands to speed various processes.
Alaska Airlines is transitioning to automated bag drops that use facial recognition to identify passengers, streamlining the bag-drop process and no longer requiring each station to be staffed by Alaska agents.
Delta is experimenting with a Digital ID pilot program at four airports in which facial matching helps some travelers utilize dedicated bag drop and security lines without showing ID or boarding passes.
TSA said officers at SEA Airport are in the process of being trained to use the CAT-2 machines and travelers will begin to see the units in use more frequently in the next few weeks.