Fumbling to pull your ID out and put it back in during airport security has practically become a travel ritual for most of us—but some travelers are skipping that process altogether. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been quietly rolling out a program called TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. The facial recognition system eliminates the need for physical identification at security checkpoints.
What is TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?
The program uses facial identification technology to verify traveler identities at security checkpoints. Rather than giving a TSA officer your physical ID (which needs to be a Real ID starting in May), you simply stand in front of a kiosk that captures your image from the chin up. “The technology compares biometric templates of passengers’ live photos to a pre-staged gallery of existing passport or visa photo templates,” a TSA representative says.
The Department of Homeland Security has been using biometric technology since 2002, and facial recognition has already been used in airports for bag drop and border entry and exit. Credential Authentication Technology machines were introduced in 2022, allowing passengers to go through security with only their photo ID. But the Touchless ID technology solely uses facial biometrics, completely skipping the need for the ID for the first time. It operates through a collaboration between TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), utilizing CBP’s Traveler Verification Service (TVS).
When did Touchless ID start?
The Touchless ID program began in March 2021 at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in partnership with Delta and United, according to the TSA representative. Then in June 2022, the program expanded to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Since then, the program has become available at Los Angeles International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport with Delta Air Lines. TSA then launched the service in partnership with United at Los Angeles International Airport and O’Hare International Airport. Qualifying Alaska Airlines passengers traveling through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be able to use the program as well.
Who can use TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?
More airlines are offering Touchless ID for passengers with TSA PreCheck.
Photo by Renan/Unsplash
The program is currently only available to TSA PreCheck members flying with participating airlines, primarily Delta and United. Travelers must opt in manually when checking in through their airline’s mobile app. Once they’ve opted in, they receive a consent indicator on their mobile boarding pass, making them eligible for the facial recognition process. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are expected to join the program soon.
Sandra Zo Awodele, a travel blogger and data engineer at Deloitte, says the technology has eliminated stress from her journeys. Awodele is always looking for ways to make her airport experience more seamless, especially when traveling through busy cities like Atlanta and New York. Using the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID cuts down the average processing time for ID verification to less than eight seconds, according to the TSA representative, in addition to the time saved dealing with purses and wallets.
Awodele decided to try the new Touchless ID technology on a recent trip to Nigeria. “As a frequent flier who has a habit of forgetting to keep all my traveling documents with me (as I’ve done on several occasions), the relief of not having to stretch for my ID repeatedly was more than welcome,” she says.
Privacy considerations
Privacy is often a concern with facial recognition, and in this case, participation is voluntary. Passengers can opt out any time and proceed through standard identity verification instead. According to the TSA, the Department of Homeland Security deletes this data within 180 days.
However, the reality is more complex.
Joshua McKenty is CEO and co-founder of Polyguard, a cybersecurity company focused on data privacy and protection. McKenty says that travelers have little real control over the use of their facial data.
“Should I opt into any government system that uses my biometrics? Guess what—practically speaking, you don’t have a choice,” says McKenty. “All modern passports and Real ID documents, etc., involve capturing and storing facial biometrics. If you want to travel, you’re already rolling the dice here.”
McKenty explains that traveler facial biometrics are already being used by CBP and DHS, and although CBP doesn’t retain them, the information is moved to the database of the DHS, known as the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).
“Even if you do opt out of that ‘last step,’ it probably doesn’t change your privacy posture at all,” he adds. “Photos of permanent residents and foreign nationals are never deleted from IDENT, and the rules on removal of photos of U.S. citizens are increasingly vague.”
For privacy-conscious travelers, manual ID checks may still feel safer. For others, skipping the ID shuffle could be a welcome upgrade for frequent fliers navigating busy hubs. In either case, perhaps we are already living in the future.
