TSA Plans Nationwide Rollout Of Biometric Machines For Airport Travelers

Traversing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines is already stressful enough at airports. All travelers are screened during the security process by technology or an invasive pat-down. One such machine currently being tested in more than a dozen airports with a possible nationwide rollout next year is one where travelers look straight into a camera, according to The Washington Post.

The TSA is quietly testing a biometric machine called the next generation of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) to verify the identity of travelers via their face. CAT scans the traveler’s photo ID and then compares that with the Secure Flight database.

CAT machines are currently at 16 major airports with plans to expand nationwide, according to WaPo, adding, “Kiosks with cameras are doing a job that used to be completed by humans: checking the photos on travelers’ IDs to make sure they’re not impostors.”