EFF legal intern Gabrielle Ladun was the principal author of this post. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) has published a summary of findings from its audit of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) facial recognition technology. While the...
If you are at a US airport, you will be made to feel like you need to scan your face. The TSA agent will say, “look at the camera” like there’s no choice. You don’t need to. Always just say “opt-out.” That’s all you need to do.
They will check your ID and use their eyeballs to compare it to your face, taking all of 10 extra seconds, and safeguarding your privacy a little bit more.
These types of security issues are inevitable, and the only way to win this game is to not play.
From the article:
I opt out every time and without fail get “randomly” selected for additional screening, for this I always give them double birds during the additional screening.
I fuck with airport security screens as much as possible. My latest is to show up an hour early with a couple of butter knives I ‘borrowed’ from previous flights. I have a collection from airlines from around the world so I match my upcoming carrier when I can. Watching those apes struggle to verify if my completely blunt, clearly approved butter knives are somehow restricted is worth the lost time.
My favorite is when they claim they’re forbidden and I get to pose the obvious objection: if they’re restricted due to posing a safety hazard, why is it acceptable that I’ll get one anyhow on my upcoming flight? How is that identical butter knife safer?
Not every country lets you opt out though unfortunately, so you’re fucked no matter what.
Yes, agree - domestic flights are the only ones you can control. But note you can opt-out at least on the US TSA side and boarding side even on international flights.