US to Start Up Registered Traveler Program
Originally called Trusted Traveler, the new proposal is to created a so-called Registered Traveler Program in which registered volunteers will be able to pass quickly through airport security in exchange for submitting to detailed background examinations. Registered travelers would have an identity card with a biometric, such as a fingerprint.
What’s wrong here?
Barry Steinhardt at the ACLU says that travelers shouldn’t have to submit to increased surveillance in exchange for not having to wait in long lines–lines that are sure to get longer once the VIP travelers don’t have to wait in them.
A June 2002 article in Nature showed how fingerprint systems can be easily fooled.
Finally, a registered traveler becomes a new vulnerability point. Want to blow up an airplane? Kidnap the registered traveler’s family and start sending back fingers until the father agrees to carry your explosive-containing briefcase through airport security.
Still, it will be nice for the VIPs who don’t have to stand in line…
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Why China is still obsessed with disinfecting everything
Most public health bodies dealing with covid have long since moved on from the idea of surface transmission. China’s didn’t—and that helps it control the narrative about the disease’s origins and danger.

These materials were meant to revolutionize the solar industry. Why hasn’t it happened?
Perovskites are promising, but real-world conditions have held them back.

Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.

A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.