Registered Traveler Program Is Fake Security -- UPDATED

[Ian David]

Thursday, 30 November 2006
by Ryan Singel and Kevin Poulsen


The Registered Traveler program, which was just cleared for deployment the nation's airports, has nothing to do with security and is simply a way to pay $100 to cut to the front of the line. While $28 out of the approximately $100 fee goes to a security check performed by the Department of Homeland Security, there's actually no rational reason to do the check other than to make the program look like it's security-related.

More, including why Registered Travelers will still get caught by terrorism watchlists and comment from a vendor, after the jump...

The program is set to work like this -- a traveler submits 10 fingerprints, a couple of optional iris scans, a digital photo, and personal information including their Social Security Number to the government through one of the private groups running a Registered Traveler program. After the government runs a $28 background check and clears the person, the private company (so far only Verified Identity Pass is certified) issues them a smart card.

Then after a traveler gets her boarding pass the normal way and heads toward the security checkpoint, she goes to a special line that has a kiosk. There she has her fingerprints scanned and checked against the card and if they match, she goes immediately to the front of the screening line. Then she goes through screening as normal -- with their liquids in a bag, laptop out of its case, shoes off, etc. So, what's the point of a background check if all you get is a better place in the same line you would have been without the card?

<snip>
UPDATE:

Cindy Rosenthal, the vice president of communication for Verified Identity Pass, contacted me to correct and contest some of my points (I had left a message for her yesterday).

More:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2006/11/registered_trav.html