Travel Surveillance, Traveler Intrusion

The United States government practices surprisingly comprehensive surveillance of air travel, amassing data about the comings and goings of all Americans who fly. Travel expert Edward Hasbrouck has been researching travel surveillance for many years. His findings reveal a stunning level of government surveillance, control of the traveler, and intrusion into commercial travel IT systems.

By April 2, the Transportation Security Administration will either have begun a public comment process on its policy of putting travelers through imaging machines that can see under their clothes, or it will be in clear violation of a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling requiring it to do so. Ginger McCall of the Electronic Privacy Information Center has been handling the litigation that prompted the court’s ruling, and she will assess the proposed regulation or discuss her renewed efforts to bring the TSA within the law.