The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is holding a media event on Jan. 29 at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage to announce the rollout of advanced facial scanning technology to be used on Alaska travelers.
The TSA PreCheck Touchless ID – which is voluntary – requires passengers to stare into a camera where their face is scanned and matched against a digital image of their passport or other government ID. Anchorage is one of 65 airports around the nation that have been identified as a high priority for the new program.
Billed as a tool that “enhances security while providing a more efficient and convenient screening experience for enrolled travelers,” widespread facial recognition technology has raised concerns about privacy, data security and possible use in larger surveillance operations in the future.
TSA, however, maintains that the live facial scans are only used to verify a passenger’s identity – not for law enforcement purposes – and the images are deleted within 24 hours of a flight’s departure.
Since Anchorage first implemented the TSA facial scanning in 2024, passengers have been instructed to stand in front of the machines. While posted signage notes that the scans are voluntary, most travelers are not verbally told they can opt out, and few do so.
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The new Touchless ID utilizes the current facial scanners but expands their use. Prior to the Touchless ID program, facial scans were utilized to verify a passengers physical ID. The new program does not require a physical ID, but simply compares the facial scans against stored digital passport photos.
However, if the identity of passengers enrolled in the Touchless ID program cannot be verified by the biometric technology at the security checkpoint, they will still be required to produce an acceptable physical identity document for identity verification. For this reason, passengers are encouraged to continue carrying physical IDs, whether they are enrolled in the voluntary Touchless ID program or not.
In addition to the new Touchless ID program, the TSA is instituting a $45 fee for all domestic flight travelers who fail to show a REAL ID. This will go into effect on Feb. 1.
Last spring, TSA began enforcing the REAL ID requirement, but many travelers were still able to fly without one. To continue doing so, passengers will now be required to use the new “ConfirmedID” process, which requires them to pay the extra fee. Once verified, they can travel over a 10-day period. The fee applies to travelers 18 years and older who don’t have REAL IDs or valid passports. Travelers who refused pay may be denied entry to security checkpoints.
The REAL ID Act was first passed by Congress in 2005 following the 9/11 attacks, but its implementation was delayed for nearly two decades.
