$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.

Comments

Re:Let me guess

[Major Blud]

"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.

Re:Let me guess

[MetalliQaZ]

You're confusing brain-washed with brain-dead. Different things.

It is NOT 'Junk Science'

[YrWrstNtmr]

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.

Re:Security theater

[gewalker]

The TSA is bad you US citizens including those that don't fly.

1. Over 7 billion dollars in 2014 budget for TSA
2. Who know how many lost tourism dollars>
3. Long distance driving to avoid TSA.
4. Loss of freedom encouraging government to further encroachment of freedoms.

Re: Security theater

[TheCarp]

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.