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$1B TSA Behavioral Screening Program Slammed As "Junk Science"
schwit1 writes The Transportation Security Administration has been accused of spending a billion dollars on a passenger-screening program that's based on junk science. The claim arose in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which has tried unsuccessfully to get the TSA to release documents on its SPOT (Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques) program through the Freedom of Information Act. SPOT, whose techniques were first used in 2003 and formalized in 2007, uses "highly questionable" screening techniques, according to the ACLU complaint, while being "discriminatory, ineffective, pseudo-scientific, and wasteful of taxpayer money." TSA has spent at least $1 billion on SPOT. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in 2010 that "TSA deployed SPOT nationwide before first determining whether there was a scientifically valid basis for using behavior detection and appearance indicators as a means for reliably identifying passengers as potential threats in airports," according to the ACLU. And in 2013, GAO recommended that the agency spend less money on the program, which uses 3,000 "behavior detection officers" whose jobs is to identify terrorists before they board jetliners.
Yeah, except terrorists dress as average tourists. They aren't completely brain-dead. They are trained.
The 'Arab guy or black guy who is shaking like a leaf, mumbling "allah-ackbar" over-and-over under his breath' probably just has fear of flying.
A vehicle to get money into the correct pockets.
Who ever said that India and China could ever beat the USA at anything - even corruption.
"They aren't completely brain-dead."
I'm pretty sure that somebody willing to blow himself up on the premise that he'll receive 72 non-existing virgins in a place that doesn't exists ruled by a made-up deity fits of the definition of brain-dead pretty well.
If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
You're confusing brain-washed with brain-dead. Different things.
"Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
The SPOT program is going exactly what it was created to do
Funnel money from the government (my pocket), into the pocket of the consultants, companies, and employees of whoever built it.
The TSA is bad you US citizens including those that don't fly.
The problem here isn't the science, it's the pork.
Behavioral science is half of a police officer's job. Problem is (besides pork barrel mismanagement) is that minimum wage TSA don't have the training, experience, or often the intelligence to use it effectively. Many airports that do this effectively will simply hire a good local police department to accomplish it.
As for bashing the TSA, every time they try to do something reasonable (like ok nail clippers) they get fired by the politicians. So track the problem down to the source - dishonest politicians and the apathetic and ignorant public that votes them in.
It's a real life manifestation of the Simpsons "Bear Patrol" episode.
And he probably won't go to those places, either. You don't seem to have a point.
The TSA security theater causes more delays than bad weather.
Citation please. While I agree that the TSA is mostly annoying security theater, my personal experience has been that bad weather has delayed me in getting to my destination more that the TSA has.
I travel sometimes every week and it's a pain in the ass. Because of this I always opt out of being scanned and force the pat down.
If you travel that often, why haven't you signed up for the PreCheck program? It lets you go back to the pre 9/11 security screening procedure. Truly frequent travelers can get in the program free via their airline, otherwise the application fee is not significant with respect to other travel costs and is worth it.
I get special satisfaction in doing it especially if I haven't used deodorant that day.
You intentionally frequently travel on a plane in tight quarters with lots of other people and you opt not to use deodorant?
Except that would be racist and profiling, so while the black dude is checking in his ticking bomb bag, TSA would be forced to feel up some 4 yr old that their random algorithms chose from the line to ensure they don't unfairly target a black dude.
Honestly, Israel uses profiling and interrogation on all their passengers and it's very effective. They hire intelligent people who don't give a fuck about you getting on that plane if you look suspicious. TSA is just to dumb to do this effectively.
My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
"If you travel that often, why haven't you signed up for the PreCheck program?"
Ihre Papiere Bitte.......
Good-bye
Their young idiots are not much different from the young idiots we send out to fight them.
Good-bye
There is no silver bullet, but calling psychology a delusion only shows ignorance of the science.
"Soft Sciences" are really just those with many variables. Training and experience deal with those rather than hard formulas that can be computed through software.
Is that person nervous or relaxed? That comprises hundreds of variables. Are they defensive to questions? What about their return trip (while they are thinking they won't return)? etc etc etc
Security is also layered. First is basic software profiling based on information about the person and flight. Second is physical screening. Third is behavioral screening. The list goes on.
I'm a frequent traveler and see the TSA has 90% theatre. That won't change because the voters only want a warm fuzzy feeling, the politicians only care about votes and kickbacks, any sensible TSA executive gets fired, airlines are constantly trying to eliminate security for cost savings, and screeners are minimum wage employees (untrained, inexperienced). There's simply no driver to improve the situation.
Actually thats demonstrably false. The only evidence I need is.... the entire history of airport security prior to the creation of the TSA.
Was airport security always a joke? You bet it was. It was always as much of a joke as it is now, but, it was a lot cheaper and, private security was not NEARLY as abusive to paying customers.
Fact is, without government intervention, all this security mumbo jumbo would quickly blow over and security would be downsized appropriately. We pay quite a lot for the ever present paranoia of committees charged only with pissing themselves at every shadow.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
Effective implies effect. Effect implies change, what is it you are looking to change? Currently we have an average of 0 terrorist attacks a day, adding up to 0 per year....a number which has, aside from a statistically insignificant number of anomalies, has been the case for well....more than my entire lifetime, which is a bit more than 3 and a half times the lifespan so far of the TSA.
Implementing the invasive and expensive program of questioning everyone with trained staff seems excessive given the magnitude of the problem.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"