this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
630 points (97.7% liked)

Technology

57895 readers
4761 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
  • Travelers can opt out of facial recognition at US airports by requesting manual ID verification, though resistance or intimidation may occur.
  • Facial recognition poses privacy risks, including potential data breaches, misidentification, and normalization of surveillance.
  • The Algorithmic Justice League's "Freedom Flyers" campaign aims to raise awareness of these issues and encourage passengers to exercise their right to opt out.
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Interesting how addicted government is to collecting data.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Reflectacles are a really good idea if you're going this route. They can ID you with just an eye scan, and this interferes with that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They have you take your sunglasses off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Get clear ones. Most (all?) of those security cameras use IR illumination to ID you, so you can have lenses that allow visible light through, but mess up IR scanning. I think you can get them w/ prescription lenses if you email the creator, so you can legitimately tell them you need your glasses to see (if you need a prescription, that is).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If the scan fails, they'll just ask you to take them off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sure, and I'll say I don't consent to take them off, so they'll need to verify me another way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Then just ask to not be facial scanned. Last airport I went to had signs saying you could opt out.

Then you don't need weird glasses either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I'm less worried about the face scanning (you can opt-out, as you said), I'm more worried about the camera scanning in other parts of the airport. The glasses combat the most common form of face scanning, which uses IR illumination. It also works at grocery stores and whatnot, which is especially important if you're a POC and likely to be racially profiled as a shoplifter (I've read some horror stories).

It does paint a bright red target on my chest since they show up as a massive bright light source on IR feeds (if a security guard happens to watch), so it's more a form of protest than anything.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Simply stand away from the camera or keep your face covered with a mask, present your ID, and say, “I opt out of biometrics. I want the standard verification process.”

This sounds like a great way for a SovCit to get a full ass inspection from a sausage-fingered security guard.

The best you're going to get is redirected to a very long queue of people who's passports don't have biometrics.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Actually no, they look at your face and your ID, make sure the information matches, and move you along. No secondary inspection, no difference except you didn't get scanned with facial recognition. It's the same process as before facial recognition was implemented.

Why even write that comment?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Because to get to the guy in the kiosk you have to queue up and that is likely to be long. That is what was stated.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I've been in and out of DFW, BOS, and JFK since these facial recognition scanners went in and I can tell you with a great deal of confidence that there's no additional wait time, or queue, or anything else if you opt out. There's a TSA agent right next to the scanner who collects your ID whether you get scanned or not. That's the same person who otherwise just checks it if you opt out. What are you even on about? Maybe its different at some airports, but I've been opting out every time I fly and it's no big deal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I never said it was a big deal at all, it isnt.

But there is an increased likelihood of a queue when opting for the non automated route. It is the reason automation is implemented.

I too have been throuhh airports, it has never bothered me but if you dont go through the automated queue you might face a longer queue because a lot of previously manual customs real estate is given over to automation now.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

¯\(ツ)/¯ maybe, but as long as I have the option and it's not tedious to do so (which is the case), I'm gonna opt out and encourage others to do so. Fair enough if your perspective is you want to accept whatever new security theater data collection is implemented in exchange for some perceived convenience. Making your case here with me in this conversation has taken more effort on your part than opting out of facial recognition at the security checkpoint in an airport would have, and I find that fact amusingly ironic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I also I never said I prefer the convenience over the privacy. Here is a tip, just because you hold a viewpoint does not mean it is infallible. There ae trade offs. While personally I am scurity and privacy conscious, I was pointing out the barrier for people to opt out, that is all. There is no two ways about it, unless there are a ratoo of 1:1 staff to passengers who opt out there will be a queue. The machines were put in in massive volume far exceeding the number of staff that would ever be checking people through in order to speed up the experience and due to them costing less to run.

I agree with you. You can still be objective and recognise the situation for what it is. A barrier to opting out is the likelihood that the manual check through takes more time. It doesnt have to be significantly more time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

And what I'm saying is it doesn't take more time to opt out in my experience. Its just as quick to get manually verified as to be biometrically scanned.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Opt out. If we don't exercise our rights, we lose them.

"What if they retaliate and make life difficult for me? "

That's both illegal and against policy. If someone delays your right to travel for this specific reason, delay their job by asking for their supervisor and their name and employee number. Then file a complaint. That will dissuade that public servant (and their leadership) from exhibiting such behavior and encouraging it respectively.

"But they are capturing your image in 10 skillion other public locations."

  1. Sure, and you have the option to create your own privacy in public.
  2. Further, what's the real purpose of the scanner at the TSA check if they already have that detailed image of your retina, your facial pore patterns and whatever the fsck else they store? They don't have that level of detail yet on CCTV.

If you don't care, then that's fine. Some people don't mind the slow encroachments on 4th Amendment protections. Cool. Others do. Cool also. That's why we can opt out.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There should exist a law that orders privacy by default forcing all this intrusive stuff to bi opt-in instead of opt-out. With data, it is often to late if it is only opt-out..

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Agreed. This was rolled out without any regard whatsoever for people's interest in data privacy. That kind of entitled behavior from any government agency is just plain gross.

load more comments
view more: next ›