Scans for US citizens flying abroad stir concern

Privacy advocates say Homeland Security is overstepping its authority

If the Trump administration gets its way, US citizens boarding international flights will have to submit to a face scan, a plan privacy advocates call a step toward a surveillance state.

The Department of Homeland Security says it’s the only way to successfully expand a programme that tracks non-immigrant foreigners.

They have been required by law since 2004 to submit to biometric identity scans — but to date have only had their fingerprints and photos collected before entry.

Now, DHS says it’s finally ready to implement face scans on departure — aimed mainly at better tracking visa overstays but also at tightening security.

It says it won’t keep the face scans of US citizens, but privacy advocates are sceptical and say Homeland Security is overstepping its authority.

“Congress authorised scans of foreign nationals. DHS heard that and decided to scan everyone. That’s not how a democracy is supposed to work,” said Alvaro Bedoya, executive director of the Centre on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University.

Trials begun under the Obama administration are underway at six US airports — Boston, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Kennedy Airport in New York City and Dulles in the Washington DC, area. DHS aims to have highvolume US international airports engaged beginning next year.

During the trials, passengers will be able to opt out. But a DHS assessment of the privacy impact indicates that won’t always be the case.

“The only way for an individual to ensure he or she is not subject to collection of biometric information when travelling internationally is to refrain from travelling,” says the June 12 document on the website of Customs and Border Protection, which runs the DHS programme.

John Wagner, the Customs deputy executive assistant commissioner in charge of the program, confirmed in an interview that US citizens departing on international flights will submit to face scans.

Wagner says the agency has no plans to retain the biometric data of US citizens and will delete all scans of them within 14 days.