ETech phone snapshot: Anil Dash's trusted traveler card
Click for larger size. I'm at O'Reilly's ETech conference in San Diego, shooting stuff for Boing Boing tv. I ran into my friend Anil Dash from Six Apart (the company that makes the Movable Type platform we use to publish BB). I ogled his Clear card, which he received as a speakers' gift from another event. Later, the BBtv team and I shot a segment about devices that can be used to sniff out and display personal data stored on RFID-embed cards such as this. Schneier has an thoughtful post up about Clear, here. Please don't flame Anil in the comments, he's not a Clear spokesperson, he was just kind enough to show me the card he received as speaker schwag.
Update: Anil wrote up a review of the Clear card a while back. Snip:
I think any feeling person's gonna have a little bit of guilt using this Clear to skip the security line. There's no more straightforward expression of class inequity than the fact that I can use my disposable income to get treated better in a situation that is mandated and policed by our federal government. We all reckon with these things in our own way, but this falls squarely into the category of things make you confront your privilege in an unsubtle way.
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I wonder if this would help people who share names with someone 'flagged' get through without identity confusion.
I don't think that's how it works, Marisa. You have to submit to retinal scans and other biometric stuff, so no, the system operates in a way so folks who share your last name would not be waved through.
I love that something that's supposed to be based on background checks and providing more security was given away as schwag. That shows how useless this whole concept is.
I love that something that's supposed to be based on background checks and providing more security was given away as schwag. That shows how useless this whole concept is.
Who said that he wasn't biometricized? If you give me a suit, I'm having it tailored before I wear it.
at least this is upfront about its elitism.
Not half as annoying as 1st class passengers having their own line. Do they pay more for security? Is it mentioned in TSA directives that 1st class passengers should have their own line? I doubt it. Its just graft from the airlines and airports popping up yet again.
Also its interesting to mention that at orlando airport FEMA employees also get a super-fast-track security line. Still searched, x-rayed etc but you cut to the front of the short short line.
Why is it elitist? You pay for a service. If you're that concerned about elitism, shouldn't you be at the Greyhound station, anyway?
You going to SXSW, Xeni?
@ BOLIVAR13 #3
I suspect the schwag was actually a gift certificate for a year of Clear, and Anil simply cashed in the certificate and submitted all the stuff he needed to.
@SMONKEY #5
If you notice, the bouncers running the velvet ropes for the separate security lines are actually contractors under the employment of the airlines. The TSA has nothing to do with it.
@ANTINOUS #6
It's elitist per se because it's not egalitarian. Its preferential treatment for people with more cash. Is it wrong? Not really, because they're just get the same treatment faster. Its not like we're talking about lifeboats on a sinking ship or anything like that.
FYI: If you really want to go through the security lines faster. Get flagged for extra security. Express lines all the way.
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Its preferential treatment for people with more cash.
That's not really true in this case. The service is about $100 per year. It's preferred treatment for people who allocate their cash to different priorities. In the case of a first class ticket, which costs many times what an economy ticket costs, most people do hit their bottom line. If $100 per year isn't in your discretionary budget, you probably don't fly enough to make it meaningful, anyway.
That's a memory chip which is contact read, not an RFID chip... notice the lack of antenna.
I doubt it would be very difficult for a terrorist to legitimately get their hands on one of these. Background checks and bio ID won't prevent a terrorist with a clean record from getting through security.
"I don't think that's how it works, Marisa. You have to submit to retinal scans and other biometric stuff, so no, the system operates in a way so folks who share your last name would not be waved through."
Yeah I guess I was trying to say that for people who share a name with someone who is on the no-fly list (such as the 5 year old in a previous BB post), this could save some confusion simply because they can identify you by more than your name. Or at least, you could get the confusion over with before stepping into the airport.
After my last detainment at DIA last week, the head ticketing clerk told me yes, registering for FlyClear will get me off the watch list.
I'm still not sure how detaining all John Smiths will help anything, since any smart bad person will choose an American name that's not too common.
Personally, I think it's unfair to charge people to register their biometrics with the TSA without offering a volunteer program. The whole thing stinks today, since micro and macro biometrics will be mandatory for transit in the future.
I don't see how FlyClear is not a part of the TSA. A FlyClear rep did confirm to me that they register your biometrics with the TSA.
Anyway, I will be buying that stink, because my air passages need lubrication.
I love it. Your non-criminality is now a purchased commodity. Soon you will be paying me to be kept off my list.
Oh my, where to begin without flaming or instigating a flamewar?
(deep breath)
As a cattlecar air traveler, I'm just not convinced that this serves any improved security purpose, it 'feels' a lot more like a First Class service bifurcation only.
It seems to me, if TSA wants to have better data on domestic air travelers, it should instead require passports. Sure, one could potentially load a lot more data on a smartchip - but that leaves only one verification method - the chip-reader, and probably an incredibly bored TSA employee. From scenarios of technology failure to the ironic boon in catching malfeasence from photo-substitution...a passport is simply a much more flexible & reliable information technology.
Of course it's about premium travel for people with money. That was how it was first explained. There is always a social dichotomy where trustworthiness is in direct relation to wealth ("why would he steal, he's rich,why would she overthrow this goverment,she benefits under it."). We used to be able to separate poor people by their color. Now,everybody needs a pass. Thanks a lot,upwardly mobile brown people! You wrecked everything!
LMAO @ Takuan. Man you've always got a good sense of humor to go with a decent insight. Nuff said.
Humor? next I'll be accused of decency.
European here, signing in. This seems very similar to the Privium system which has been in operation for 10+ years at Schiphol, Amsterdam airport. I've been a paid up member of the scheme for just over a year now, flying into/out of Schiphol at least twice a week.
The card works with an iris scan for which you have to have an interview with Interpol reps at the airport.
For me, the relatively low cost ($100) per annum is completely worth the time it saves me. The Privium scheme speeds you past the passport checks by scanning your retina, and also puts you straight to the front of the security check.
This is normally the part where the incredibly long queue behind me hates me and on occasion I have been shouted at by other passengers (oddly, normally British passengers) who think I am queue jumping. Which in a (legitimate) way, I suppose I am. However, I do go through the same level of screening as every other passenger.
Marketing it as a time saving device, as the Dutch have, for frequent flyers is fine. Treating it as some sort of security circumnavigation is probably not such a good idea.
@Melou
"on occasion I have been shouted at by other passengers (oddly, normally British passengers)"
Ah, you know how us brits love our queues. Scorn upon anyone who seeks to subvert the queue hierarchy. ;)
so you traded your iris image and money for what? Now, there is one more way for the government to finger you if it wants. Unlikely? Maybe. Perhaps you will never live under a repressive regime. Of course you have increased precedent for them to demand more from you now. Hopefully they will keep your data safe - and not lose any laptops.
Realistically, your decision will probably not rebound on you. However,what if we all did it?