New tool helps travellers avoid airlines that use facial recognition technology

A new tool launched by privacy activists offers to help travellers avoid increasingly invasive facial recognition technologies in airports. Activist groups Fight for the Future, Demand Progress and CREDO on Wednesday unveiled a new website called AirlinePrivacy.com, which shows users what airlines use facial recognition to verify the identity of passengers before boarding. The site also helps customers to directly book flights with airlines that don’t use facial recognition technologies. Airlines’ use of facial recognition technology is raising fresh questions about privacy and data security, advocates have argued. Instead of verifying passengers’ details by scanning a boarding pass, the technology – which is provided by government agencies – scans passengers’ face and sends that information to border control to verify identity and flight details. JetBlue began using the technology in 2017 in partnership with federal agencies, after Donald Trump issued an executive order pushing for the use of facial recognition technology in US airports. Since then, more airlines have begun incorporating the technology, including Delta, American Airlines, BA and Lufthansa. Airlines that do not use facial recognition technology include Alaska, United, Southwest, Allegiant and Air Canada.<br/>