Lafayette Reporter

Senator John Kennedy, alongside Senator Jeff Merkley and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, has called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to oversee the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) use of facial recognition technology.

The senators have expressed concerns about the deployment of this technology for passenger verification without an independent evaluation or sufficient privacy safeguards. They stated, "We urge you to conduct thorough oversight of the Transportation Security Administration’s (“TSA”) use of facial recognition technology for passenger verification from both an authorities and privacy perspective."

According to reports, TSA plans to introduce credential authentication technology equipped with facial recognition at over 430 airports nationwide. However, the agency already uses CAT-1 scanners that can detect fraudulent identification documents. The senators noted that TSA has not provided Congress with evidence showing the necessity of facial recognition technology for improving security measures.

The letter also highlighted concerns about TSA's future plans: "Additionally, despite promising lawmakers and the public that this technology is not mandatory, TSA has stated its intent to expand this technology beyond the security checkpoint and make it mandatory in the future." The potential expansion could lead to a large federal surveillance database without Congressional authorization.

The senators have requested DHS provide Congress with an evaluation report before making facial recognition the default method for passenger verification. Other signatories include Senators Ed Markey, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Cynthia Lummis, Bernie Sanders, and Peter Welch.