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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?

5 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. 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.

  2. movie magic by Alien54 · · Score: 4, Funny
    It almost sounds like they went to see Minority Report, (which opened this week) and were so sold on the system seen there that they decided on going with the system over beers at the Friday Night get-together.

    See? it's the wave of the future! It's even in the movies

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  3. Seeing is Believing by donnacha · · Score: 5, Funny


    Obviously, eye-scans will help to identify one-eyed, ex-Taleban Head of State and Bin Laden buddy Mullah Mohammed Omar, and prevent him boarding Northwest Airlines flights.

  4. 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? :-/