Big Brother May Visit Logan Airport
Electronic Privacy and Information Center Executive Director Marc Rotenberg is concerned that a new federal electronic screening system will just be a guise for illegal profiling of U.S. citizens, and his company has filed a lawsuit seeking further details about the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II.
Boston’s Logan International Airport could become one of the first testing grounds for the screening system, which would be triggered by ticket purchases, and prompt a review of credit histories and criminal records.
The Transportation Security Administration will use the system to review credit histories, bank account data, and criminal records to assign airline passengers a risk level. Currently the system is being tested by Delta Airlines at three undisclosed airport locations, and the agency hopes to have the system in all airports by the end of the year.
However, Rotenberg is concerned that passengers who are flagged will not have a right to appeal the risk level they are assigned. Law Enforcement Technology (02/03) Vol. 30, No. 2, P. 84; Magaletta, Robert Sen. Edward Kennedy’s (D-Mass.) office indicated that lawmakers were reviewing the program to determine whether privacy concerns will outweigh the security benefits.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Boston Herald Online (03/06/03); Walsh, Tom.