TSA should assess impact of biometrics program, says privacy group

The Transportation Security Administration should conduct a comprehensive assessment on the privacy impact of a biometrics program before it proceeds to test the program on airline crew members at the nation's airports, said representatives for a privacy public-interest on Friday.

The letter was submitted by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) to the TSA as it proceeds to provide guidance for the use of biometric technologies at airports for access-control systems.

The intelligence reform bill Congress enacted last year requires the TSA to work with the aviation industry, the biometric technology industry and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to craft guidance on the development of standards for biometrics to be used to identify staff at airports.

In its comment letter, EPIC said TSA should incorporate privacy principles in the design of biometric technology instead of treating privacy as an afterthought.