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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 13 July 2017
Face scans for flying abroad stir privacy issues AP-NORC Poll:

By FRANK BAJAK said Alvaro Bedoya, exec- agency has no plans to re- Most in US say they lack influence
DAVID KOENIG utive director of the Center tain the biometric data of
Associated Press on Privacy and Technology U.S. citizens and will delete By LAURIE KELLMAN tions of collusion between
HOUSTON (AP) — If the at Georgetown University. all scans of them within 14 EMILY SWANSON Russia and Trump’s cam-
Trump administration gets Trials begun under the days. However, he doesn’t Associated Press paign and Congress’ in-
its way, U.S. citizens board- Obama administration are rule out CBP keeping them WASHINGTON (AP) — ability so far to come up
ing international flights will underway at six U.S. air- in the future after going Linda Bell, a beekeeper with a replacement for
have to submit to a face ports — Boston, Chicago, “through the appropriate and farmer who makes “Obamacare.”
scan, a plan privacy advo- Houston, Atlanta, Kennedy privacy reviews and ap- about $11,000 a year, “He said he was going to
cates call a step toward a Airport in New York City provals.” feels Washington power restore the middle class,
brokers have no inten- and I thought he would
tion of making health pick really good people
care affordable. “They who would do that. But
don’t care about people the people he picked
like me,” says the Bosque seem to be not in touch
County, Texas, resident. with the middle class,”
Three-quarters of Ameri- said Hobart, Indiana, resi-
cans agree that people dent James Pavelka, 60, a
like themselves have too health and safety instruc-
little influence in Washing- tor who said he voted for
ton, rare unanimity across Trump. He was referring to
political, economic, ra- Trump’s Cabinet, thought
cial and geographical to be the wealthiest in
lines and including both modern times. “During
those who approve and the campaign, he said,
disapprove of President ‘I’m for the little guy.’
Donald Trump, accord- People were angry and
ing to a new poll by The he fed on that and he
Associated Press-NORC knew how to do that.”
Center for Public Affairs It’s not just Trump who
Research. Majorities also makes people feel like
don’t have a great deal they lack power.
of confidence in most of Only 6 percent of Ameri-
the nation’s institutions. cans have a great deal
U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor Erik Gordon, left, helps passenger Ronan Pabhye That’s especially true of of confidence in Con-
navigate one of the new facial recognition kiosks at a United Airlines gate before boarding a Congress, which takes gress, with wide agree-
flight to Tokyo, Wednesday, July 12, 2017, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, in Houston. the biggest hit, and the ment across party lines.
The Trump administration intends to require that American citizens boarding international flights
submit to face scans, something Congress has not explicitly approved and privacy advocates presidency. Fourteen percent of
consider an ill-advised step toward a surveillance state. Even at a time of deep- people said they have a
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip) ening economic and great deal of confidence
political divisions, the poll in the executive branch,
finds widespread agree- which includes the presi-
surveillance state. and Dulles in the Wash- A CBP spokeswoman, Jen- ment that small busi- dent and all of the Cabi-
The Department of Home- ington, D.C., area. DHS nifer Gabris, said the agen- nesses, poor Americans net agencies, and 24 per-
land Security says it’s the aims to have high-volume cy has not yet examined and workers have too cent say the same of the
only way to successfully U.S. international airports whether what would re- little power in Washing- Supreme Court.
expand a program that engaged beginning next quire a law change ton, while lobbyists, big Most Americans feel solid
tracks nonimmigrant for- year. Privacy advocates say business and rich people about the armed forces,
eigners. They have been re- During the trials, passen- making the scans manda- have too much. with about 56 percent
quired by law since 2004 to gers will be able to opt tory for U.S. citizens pushes The results are notable saying they have a great
submit to biometric identity out. But a DHS assessment the nation toward a Big because Trump won his deal of confidence in the
scans — but to date have of the privacy impact indi- Brother future of pervasive presidency with a popu- people running the mili-
only had their fingerprints cates that won’t always be surveillance where local list call-to-arms to make tary. About 3 in 10 Ameri-
and photos collected prior the case. and state police and feder- “forgotten Americans” his cans say they have a
to entry. “The only way for an indi- al agencies, and even for- priority and to restore jobs great deal of confidence
Now, DHS says it’s finally vidual to ensure he or she eign governments, could to people still struggling in the FBI, and a third says
ready to implement face is not subject to collection leverage citizens collected amid the economy’s re- the same of the scien-
scans on departure — of biometric information “digital faceprints” to track covery. Republicans who tific community. Both are
aimed mainly at better when traveling interna- them wherever they go. control Congress echoed trusted more by Demo-
tracking visa overstays but tionally is to refrain from Jay Stanley, an American Trump’s vow to over- crats than Republicans.
also at tightening security. traveling,” says the June Civil Liberties Union senior haul President Barack Beyond government,
It says it won’t keep the 12 document on the web- policy analyst, says U.S. law Obama’s national health only about 11 percent of
face scans of U.S. citizens, site of Customs and Border enforcement and secu- care law and cut peo- Americans say they have
but privacy advocates are Protection, which runs the rity agencies already ex- ple’s taxes as part of a a lot of confidence in the
skeptical and say Home- DHS program. John Wag- ert “sufficient gravitational drive to restore the Ameri- news media, the target of
land Security is overstep- ner, the Customs deputy pulls in wanting to record can middle class. Those angry tweets by Trump.
ping its authority. executive assistant com- and track what masses of efforts have wobbled, And just 1 in 10 says they
“Congress authorized missioner in charge of the individuals are doing,” he however, amid Trump’s have a great deal of con-
scans of foreign nationals. program, confirmed in an says. efforts to crack down on fidence in major com-
DHS heard that and de- interview that U.S. citizens Sen. Edward Markey, D- Muslim immigration, his panies, banks and finan-
cided to scan everyone. departing on international Mass., said U.S. citizens feud-filled Twitter feed, cial institutions, or labor
That’s not how a democ- flights will submit to face should be able to opt investigations into allega- unions.q
racy is supposed to work,” scans. Wagner says the out.q