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Northwest Airlines Wants Eye-Scan Check-in

Posted by timothy on from the because-terrorists-don't-have-eyes dept.

Headius writes: "According to the Associated Press, Northwest Airlines is testing out a check-in system that uses eye scans to identify customers, and provide a faster way to check in. The article is here locally, and probably making its way to other news sites as well." Bruce Schneier posted a while ago this neat summary of some of the limitations of biometrics, worth re-reading. One question I have, how long will you eyes stay on record?

6 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. And this would prove what? by nurb432 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    All it would do is be more invasive into our lives..

    Wont prevent a damned thing, unless your ticket is stolen..

    Ya know, most HIjackers do buy their tickets, and show proper ID at the gate..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  2. I assume... by ceejayoz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I assume they scan your eyes first time, and it stays in their database forever. It'd be rather useless if they scanned you, then got rid of the record, since the point is to let trusted passengers go through.

    Seems to me the major problem is that a terrorist need only establish themself as "trusted" - fly on a few flights without problems, be nice and courteous and look non-suspicious. Once you're trusted you've got essentially free range - just walk through with only an eye scan.

    Boom.

  3. A progression? by mindstrm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I mean, if airlines wan't increased security of any sort.. people tend to agree, or at least not too strongly disagree, after all, we need our airplanes to be safe, right? Oh wait, yeah, except for the terrible incidents on Sept. 11th, THEY ARE. And it's not likely something of that nature could happen again.
    Those animals didn't use guns or weapons smuggled onboard, they weren't some kind of secret spy martial arts experts...
    They just used fear.

    My problem is this: Flying is a needed method of travel. You can't very well avoid it if you have to travel. So, let's see.. I have a right to privacy as long as I don't want to travel anywhere?

    It doesn't add up. If things like this keep happening, eventually it will be on trains, city busses, and tollbooths on our highways.

    WHO I AM is not important when I travel on an airplane. Whether or not I'm carrying weapons, bombs, that is important.

    1. Re:A progression? by ceejayoz · · Score: 4, Insightful

      WHO I AM is not important when I travel on an airplane. Whether or not I'm carrying weapons, bombs, that is important.

      So we should let anyone on the CIA watchlist into the country, as long as they aren't carrying weapons? I think I'd rather know that we at least know who's flying around in planes.

      I mean, if airlines wan't increased security of any sort.. people tend to agree, or at least not too strongly disagree, after all, we need our airplanes to be safe, right? Oh wait, yeah, except for the terrible incidents on Sept. 11th, THEY ARE. And it's not likely something of that nature could happen again. Those animals didn't use guns or weapons smuggled onboard, they weren't some kind of secret spy martial arts experts... They just used fear.

      Exactly. Five people aren't going to be able to hijack a plane with boxcutters anymore - the passengers will mob them. Before Sept 11, the flight crew was trained to do what they said and get the plane on the ground. That's why Sept 11 happened - we really didn't expect a suicide bombing with airplanes. Now we know better, and it won't happen again.

      We'd be much better off making OTHER stuff more secure - like our ports. How long until a container ship comes in carrying a nuclear weapon? How long until someone lets off smallpox in the US? :-/

  4. How is this going to speed up security? by mindstrm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    it says a faster way for it's frequent flyers to get through security.

    Last time I flew on an airline...
    I a) Walked to the security gate (X-ray machine, metal detector, etcetera). I put my carryon bags in the machine, walked through the detector, which beeped. A girl waved a wand around to verify that it was my belt buckle that set off the detector, I grabbed my bags, and went on my way.

    How, exactly, is having me do an eye scan going to speed up my going through security? They can't be permitting anyone into the secure area without going through this process.. can they? If they are, that makes security WORSE, not better. But there's now ay they are doing that..

    So how is this going to make it 'more secure'.. given that you shouldn't have to identify yourslef to fly anyway?

  5. Re:Will it work? by nuggz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Weapons on a plane are dangerous, you have thousands of lbs of fuel all over the place, control wires and computers all over and a pressure sealed cabin. An errant bullet could be catastropic. Soldiers aren't a magical toy that makes everything bad go away.
    Any fight in a confined area becomes very lethal very fast. Currently if there is a distirbance without weapons, other passengers may subdue the offender, bumps bruises, no deaths.
    With weapons, you will get serious injuries or deaths from the same incident.
    On a longer flights (10+ hours) you want the pilots not to eat, drink or go to the bathroom? This just isn't practical.