* Pilot group suggests replacing overly revealing body scan with biometric identity system
This past week, Gartner put on their annual Identity and Access Management Summit in San Diego. This coming week is the American Thanksgiving holiday and, more importantly for this newsletter, the busiest flying day of the year in the United States — the day before Thanksgiving.
I wasn’t at the conference in San Diego, and I won’t be flying on Wednesday. Part of the reason for both are the new draconian (and, some say, sexually perverted) practices of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
If you’re unfamiliar with the new practices, read through James Fallows’ article (and it’s links) in The Atlantic.
Apart from providing part of the reason I didn’t go to Gartner’s IAM fest, these new TSA practices have sparked a reaction from pilots’ associations and unions, which is relevant to what we usually talk about.
The pilots are unhappy about having to either be viewed “naked” (with accompanying x-ray bombardment) or being groped multiple times per week. And, as Sam Mayer, communications director of the Allied Pilots Association, points out in a recent interview : “It’s pointless … we’re sitting at the controls of the airplane. We sit with guns. We have a large crash ax,” Mayer said. “We are not the threat to an airplane being used as a weapon of mass destruction.”
What Mayer and his group are proposing is a biometric identity system for pilots. In fact, the group has been asking TSA for almost 10 years to implement a biometric identification system for crew members. Fingerprint, retinal scan, voiceprint — it doesn’t really make a difference to the pilots — just that it saves time, and their dignity, as well as is better for their long-term health.
In fact, when I first heard about the CLEAR system I was expecting a biometric system tied to a database along with a thorough background check. I still think this is a preferable method for dealing with security — and could easily be used for all transportation methods. I do find it curious, by the way, that the TSA expects terrorists to fly rather than take the train, the bus or a ship.
Now some will object to the biometric approach since it would be possible to track a person’s movements. Well, in reality it would become slightly easier to track movements, which can be done today if the government is really interested. But for those who want to opt out of the biometric scheme, they can always choose a good grope!
If you’re interested in what went on at the Gartner summit, I suggest reading Jackson Shaw’s blog (he’s senior director, Product Management, for Quest) for some interesting observations. Find the postings here.
Happy Thanksgiving.
