Lengthy debate delves into details of costs and benefits
Security expert Bruce Schneier opposes the use of ethnic profiling as a part of airport passenger screening, while Sam Harris, author and CEO of Project Reason, believes such profiling makes sense and is avoided merely in deference to political correctness.
The two debated their differences via email, says Schneier, and “at 14,000+ words, I only recommend (the transcript) for the most stalwart of readers.”
Well, I read all 14,000+ words, and I recommend it for anyone interested in the topic.
Here’s Schneier’s bottom line for treating all travelers the same: “I agree that the result is perverse. I agree that, on the face of it, it makes no sense to screen someone who looks and acts like Betty White, or those four wheelchair-using World War II veterans at San Jose Airport. But it results in better security. By ‘obviously wasting their time,’ security screeners are in fact both saving time and improving security.”
Why?
That’s not easy to answer, in large part because much of the answer is counter-intuitive. That’s why there are 14,000+ words.
But I find Schneier’s position compelling and the case for profiling weak.
