Most will be assigned green, and they will undergo minimal checks during pre-flight screening. About 8% of airline passengers will have a 'yellow' mark next to their name. These people will face additional checks. Finally, about 2% of passengers will be marked red. They will either be barred from the flight or taken into custody for further investigation.
Airlines will send information, including full name, home address, phone number, date of birth, and intended route, about everyone who bought or booked a ticket to the Transportation Security Administration. If the computer system detects a threat, notes NEWSru.com, the Transportation Security Administration will inform federal or local law enforcement agencies.
The check will be carried out in two stages. The first will compare the passenger's name and information from databases of private companies that collect personal information for commercial purposes. During the comparison, a digital indicator of the likelihood that the passenger is actually who they claim to be will be generated. Passengers will not be told about the color or digital code assigned to them.
The second stage will compare personal information about the passenger with government intelligence data and valid warrants issued by local authorities for the arrest of people who committed serious crimes. If necessary, the computer will also provide additional information about passengers - for example, about their recent purchases or occupation.
The new system was developed by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This agency was created a month after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The US Congress tasked the agency with developing new technologies to prevent terrorist attacks in the airspace. By this year, the budget of the agency responsible for security at the country's 429 airports has grown to nearly $5 billion.
The full name of the system being implemented is Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II (CAPPS II). This is the agency's first large-scale project. Its management plans to introduce CAPPS II as early as next summer and test it first on domestic flights. If successful, the system will also be used on international flights. It is clear why the agency starts with domestic ones - it is here that the passenger screening system is lacking. Until recently, only two groups of passengers were checked rigorously: those who bought a one-way ticket and those who paid for the ticket in cash rather than by credit card.
Not all private airlines in the US are delighted with the Transportation Security Administration's project. For example, according to the Washington Post, Delta Air Lines and several smaller firms refused to test the system. The Transportation Security Administration does not say which companies agreed to implement the new system and which did not. Still, it seems that the vast majority of airlines will sign on to the project. Their management has already realized that the new system will increase the flow of air travelers and reduce pre-flight screening time. After all, the main control will be carried out virtually.
The not-yet-implemented system has begun to be criticized by human rights activists. According to Barry Steinhardt, a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union, 'you may be arrested by mistake, you may be late, you may lose the right to free movement around the country.' According to domestic human rights activists, the fight against terrorism is necessary, but such measures will significantly limit basic human rights: the right to privacy and the right to freedom of movement. And Tatyana Lokshina, a representative of the Moscow Helsinki Group, noted that 'the new system may discriminate against people with a certain past that has nothing to do with their current life. For example, a person may be labeled for stealing a lighter from a supermarket at age 18, although this does not mean that they now pose any terrorist threat.' According to Lokshina, 'there is currently a certain imbalance in the world towards security for the sake of security, and many democratic countries often infringe on the rights and freedoms of citizens while defending against terrorism. There should be no such tilt - a balance must be maintained in these matters.'
Also of concern is the fact that this system goes beyond its stated goals and identifies not only potential terrorists. 'This is a law enforcement mechanism. The wider the net, the more people get caught in it,' emphasizes David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union.
The legal framework of the project has yet to be clarified by the US government. However, as most experts note, the new system fits well with the anti-terrorism law adopted shortly after the September 11 attacks. So the Transportation Security Administration will not have to overcome major legal difficulties.