Page 23 - ATA

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 22 June 2018
Orlando International Airport to scan faces of U.S. citizens

By MIKE SCHNEIDER authority $4 million. The pro- national departure gate,
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Flor- gram should be rolled out which is a huge expansion
ida's busiest airport will be at other airports in other of the number of people
the first in the nation to re- U.S. cities in the next year, who will be scanned. Errors
quire a face scan of pas- Wagner said. tend to go up as uses go
sengers on all arriving and "We're comparing you up."
departing international against a photograph Orlando International Air-
flights, officials said Thurs- you've given the U.S. gov- port had about 6 million
day, a move that pleases ernment for the purposes of international passengers in
airport executives but wor- travel," Wagner said. "You the past year. Face scans
ries privacy advocates. know your picture is being for arrivals and departures
Officials at Orlando Inter- taken. You're standing in should be fully in place by
national Airport said the front of a camera. There's the end of the year, al-
expansion of face scans nothing subversive about though passengers landing
would speed up the time it this, and we're only com- at Orlando International
takes for passengers to go paring you against your Airport currently undergo
through customs. passport photo." them upon arriving. Pas-
"It's almost like Christmas U.S. citizens at these air- sengers who had their pho-
in June for me," said Phil ports can opt out, but the tos taken Thursday at the
Brown, chief executive of In this July 12, 2017 file photo, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency "doesn't seem to Orlando airport took it in
the Greater Orlando Avia- facial recognition device is ready to scan another passenger at be doing an adequate stride.
tion Authority. "The process a United Airlines gate at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, job letting Americans know "It was fine, efficient, very
of going into and out of Or- in Houston. Associated Press they can opt out," said Har- fast," said Katrina Poulsen, a
lando is going to be greatly rison Rudolph, an associate Denmark resident who ar-
enhanced." Washington already use the flight in order to verify at the Center on Privacy & rived in Orlando on a flight
But some privacy advo- face scans for some de- the traveler's identity. The Technology at the George- from London.
cates say there are no parting international flights, images are held in the da- town University Law Center. Andrea Nabarria, who ar-
formal rules in place for but they don't involve all in- tabase for 14 days before The Orlando announce- rived on the same flight,
handling data gleaned ternational flights at the air- being deleted, said John ment marks a step up in said he understands the
from the scans, nor formal ports as the program's ex- Wagner, an official with the scope of the face scan concerns about privacy
guidelines on what should pansion in Orlando would. U.S. Customs and Border program, Rudolph said. but that passengers may
happen if a passenger is The image from the face Protection. "We're not talking about have to give up something
wrongly prevented from scan is compared to a De- The face scan expansion is one gate," he said. "We're in exchange for beefed up
boarding. partment of Homeland Se- costing the Orlando airport talking about every inter- security.q
Airports in Atlanta, Boston, curity biometric database
Chicago, Houston, Las Ve- that has passport images of
gas, Miami, New York and people who should be on Lawsuit: Green-card holders

face bias in U.S. military policy

By SUDHIN THANAWALA their immigration status," policy went into effect,
Associated Press Sameer Ahmed, a staff at- making it effectively a "ban
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A torney with the ACLU Foun- on green-card holders in
Trump administration policy dation of Southern Califor- the military."
that requires green-card nia, said in a statement. The lawsuit names two per-
holders to pass a back- The Defense Department manent residents as plain-
ground check before they cannot discuss pending liti- tiffs, Jiahao Kuang and Der-
can start military service is gation, spokesman Johnny on Cooke, but seeks class-
discriminatory and has left Michael said. action status on behalf of
hundreds of enlisted peo- Permanent residents who an estimated 3,000 people
ple in limbo, a civil liberties serve in the military may be who have not been able to
group alleges in a lawsuit able to obtain citizenship start basic training.
Thursday. faster than other green- Kuang and Cooke enlist-
The U.S. Department of card holders. The depart- ed in the military last year,
Defense announced the ment's announcement last but they have no idea
new policy in October year quotes Stephanie Mill- when they will be allowed
2017. Green-card holders er, director of accessions, to serve, according to the
could previously report for saying it was in the "national lawsuit. Kuang put off go-
basic service while their interest to ensure all current ing to college to serve, and
background checks were and prospective service it's difficult for him to get a
pending, and U.S. citizens members complete secu- job because he does not
still can, according to the rity and suitability screening know when he will have to
American Civil Liberties prior to naturalization." report for basic training, the
Union, which is seeking a The announcement says suit says. Cooke works for
court order blocking the the clearance procedure a technology company,
policy. "There is no justifi- could take up to a year. but is hesistant to apply for
cation for discriminating Ahmed said the ACLU is not a promotion because he
against individuals who aware of any permanent doesn't know when he will
want to risk their lives for this residents who have been have to leave, according
country simply because of cleared to serve since the to the lawsuit.q