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Comment by bsimpson

2 months ago

It's a crime that were compelled to concede our 4th Amendment rights in order to travel.

Literally not compelled in this case, the TSA signage says that the image capture is completely optional.

More generally, having your stuff screened for security to get on a commercial plane isn't a 4th amendment violation, the word "unreasonable" is right there in the amendment for a reason. You're in public in an enclosed flying object bringing your goods onto someone else's plane with 100+ strangers aboard, it is completely reasonable and necessary for the freedoms of everyone involved for the TSA to ensure that your stuff doesn't have dangerous objects aboard.

Don't forget that freedom also involves the freedom of other people to not be negatively impacted by you exercising your "freedom."

  • Image capture is optional, your other option is something possibly unpleasant and may make you miss your flight

    • That is not the other option at all. The other option is essentially just the traditional screening process.

      > Standard ID credential verification is in place – Travelers who decide not to participate in the use of facial recognition technology will receive an alternative ID credential check by the TSO at the podium. The traveler will not experience any negative consequences for choosing not to participate. There is no issue and no delay with a traveler exercising their rights to not participate in the automated biometrics matching technology.

      My goodness this thread is just the most annoying tinfoil hat thread I've seen all day. Y'all are spending too much time online.

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    • It's not; I flew every week for months, and across ALL airports, I got an indifferent "OK" from the TSA agent, and was waved along.

Depends on the type of travel right? I took Amtrak weekly for several years and never even had to show ID.

  • Did this change? Last time I tried to take them (ten+ years ago, because my license expired) they refused my ticket purchase because my id was expired.

    • Less than 6 months ago I was able to buy a ticket online and board without showing any ID and have done that for 10+ years with no problem.

Same with drivers licenses and passports having a photo requirement too

  • The TSA photos are worse. They use a stereoscopic camera to take a 3d image of your head, which makes facial recognition up to 10x more accurate.

    You can opt out, just say you do (and preferably cover the camera with your hat or bag)

  • >drivers licenses and passports having a photo requirement too

    You're free to take the bus, or hire a chauffeur. A private pilots license doesn't have any pictures either.

It literally says right on the facial recognition sign that you're free to opt out, just let the TSA employee know

  • The TSA is - objectively, by their own audits - complete security theater. Why bother to defend them, exactly?

    Also, the spirit of the 4th Amendment is most certainly not "here, this is the easy way!" (yes, we are conducting mass surveillance but you can sort of opt out of one piece of it by going through a manual process over here that we will make you feel like you are burdening us by requesting)

    • correcting disinformation isn't defending something. do you want to live in a world where we dislike someone and so we just make up random terrible things about them that aren't true, and it's fine and encouraged because they're someone we dislike, and people aren't allowed to say "hey that's not actually true, at all"

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  • Yup,people are really good about it in my experience too. I just stand off to the side of the camera, and say "no biometrics please". They take a minute to check my documents and it's done. Try it.

    I trust the TSA agents brain to not get hacked in the next 24 hours, a database run by them, not so much.

  • The purpose is to gather biometric data on people that will be used for future surveillance in our incipient fascist state with the implicit statement that opting out is suspicious and will lead to greater scrutiny.

Amtrak and Greyhound do not require those biometrics, nor does renting a car and driving (or driving your own).

  • Some of us want to be able to cross the country in an afternoon, and not have to spend days on a slow, uncomfortable train to make the same trip. I don't think that's unreasonable.

    • Certainly not unreasonable. But it does require you to commission your own transport subject to the rules that that private entity seeks to impose. Public entities which indiscriminately service residents and visitors of a given territory would obviate this requirement. But if you're in the US, good luck convincing taxpayers to agree to pay for that.

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  • You can also walk. Lovers of freedom can walk from Manhattan to LA in 40-50 days. Of course if you look “wrong”, you’ll probably get rounded up in some flyover town.