I never thought I’d be this nervous in the TSA line.
Of course, I had absolutely nothing to hide (except a little extra coffee in my thermos). My fraying backpack was totally void of weapons, knives, Nutella, and anything else the TSA frowns upon.
Still, I worried that I was moments away from upsetting the TSA agent — and the passengers behind me — by being “difficult.”
See, I was about to utter a word that police officers, TSA agents, and children of billionaires generally don’t like hearing:
“No.”
Specifically, I was going to politely decline to have my photo taken by the facial recognition camera. The TSA claims that this is my legal right, but they were vague on what would happen to me if I exercised it.
Would I be pulled aside? Patted down? Added to some list?
I decided to find out.
What’s the Deal with TSA’s New Facial Recognition Tech?
In mid-2020, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) began rolling out facial recognition technology as part of the screening process in dozens of airports in the U.S.
According to the TSA, the technology “represents a significant security enhancement and improves traveler convenience.” Among other things, it “helps ensure the person standing at the checkpoint is the same person pictured on the identification document (ID) credential.”
As of February 2025, the agency has deployed its facial recognition cameras in over 80 airports, with plans to reach 400+ over the next few years.
How does the TSA’s facial recognition technology work?
If you’re new to the process, here’s how it works: Instead of scanning your ID and boarding pass, the TSA agent will ask you to scan your ID and position yourself for a photo.
If you’re wearing a mask, sunglasses, VR goggles, or a tophat and a monocle, the agent will ask you to remove them all to get a clear image of your face.
You then stare into the Black Mirror until you hear a *ding*, at which point the TSA agent makes sure the photo matches your ID. Assuming they do, the agent waves you through.
Quick, simple, and painless, right?
To be fair, facial recognition technology is far less disruptive and annoying than most of the TSA’s other post-9/11 changes. In 2006, the agency banned ALL liquids of any kind (the 3.4oz allotment was added later). That same year, it also began forcing passengers to remove their shoes — much to the chagrin of sockless Croc-wearers.
But even though the facial recognition process only takes half a second, you should consider declining it every time.
We’ll discuss why in a second, but first, here’s what happens when you do.
What Happens When You Decline TSA’s Facial Recognition Tech
As I approached the TSA agent at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport, I felt my heart beating against my ribs. I hadn’t felt this nervous since I spoke in front of my entire high school or asked my now-wife for her number.
“Put your ID in the slot for me,” the agent muttered.
As the machine ate my ID, I cleared my throat.
“Pardon me, but would it be possible to decline the photo, please?”
(As a Southerner, I default to excessive manners when nervous.)
She didn’t even hesitate or look up.
“Scan your boarding pass for me,” she replied, with an oddly calming monotony.
BEEP.
“Have a nice day. NEXT IN LINE.”
That’s it?
Stunned, I tried it again on the return trip from Ft. Lauderdale. And the same thing happened.
Granted, the TSA website does claim that you can decline the facial recognition technology process without recourse. You just have to consent to “an alternative identity verification process.”
But I had to find out for myself exactly what that “alternative process” was — and whether it involved pat-downs and an interrogation.
I’m only half-joking.
When my ID got stolen in the Miami airport in 2020, the police had to escort me through TSA, where I was asked a series of uncomfortable questions to prove my identity. They asked the names of my roommates in college, my mother’s maiden name, and the year my friend Eric lived with me.
Before I had the chance to process how they knew all that stuff — especially since Eric lived with me for a short time and didn’t sign a lease — they ushered me through the line.
Point being, I’ve experienced firsthand what happens when the TSA can’t verify who you are. They don’t like it, and I figured that if I deliberately created that situation, they’d be annoyed at best.
But they weren’t. They didn’t even shrug. It was like I’d chosen salad instead of fries; just another option on the menu.
4 Reasons Why You Should Decline the TSA’s Facial Recognition
Now that you know how comically easy it is to decline TSA’s facial recognition tech, here’s why the experts are saying you should.
1. Biometric data can be used against you
Biometric data (e.g., facial images, fingerprints, and DNA) can be a fast and convenient way to identify you, but it’s also a double-edged sword.
“While there are clear benefits to using biometric data for identification and authentication, there are, of course, concerns,” writes Sterling Miller, former General Counsel for Travelocity.
“If stolen or copied, biometric data can provide access to that person’s most sensitive secrets, data, bank accounts, and so forth,” he warns. “For example, a photo of the owner can be used to unlock a smartphone set to open with a facial scan.”
And given the rise in sophistication of deepfake content, “you can now place an innocent individual at a crime scene.”
In other words, giving a stranger an ultra-high-res photo of your face is virtually as risky as giving them your phone password or SSN. Some would argue that it’s even riskier.
But surely the TSA is storing these photos in a vault, right?
Right?
2. The TSA is vague about what they’re doing with your data
To assuage potential concerns about privacy, the TSA assures us that “Photos are not stored or saved… except in a limited testing environment for evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology.”
So they’re not stored unless they’re stored. Great.
The agency also lists “expanded biometric capabilities” in its long-term roadmap, suggesting that temporary storage may be… temporary.
Needless to say, these fine details gave experts the ick.
Jennifer King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, called out the TSA for being “a little vague about what they were doing with the data.”
She told HuffPost, “I’m sure that the dream of enforcement agencies would be to be able to track people in real time based on something like facial recognition.”
And she’s not the only one voicing concerns.
3. The DHS is already investigating it for privacy concerns
Imagine winning Innovator of the Year from Forbes Travel Guide, only for your parents to voice their disapproval and start searching your room.
That’s basically what happened to the TSA. It won the award in October 2024, specifically for its facial recognition rollout. Then, four months later, its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced an investigation into the same technology.
“This technology will soon be in use at hundreds of major and mid-size airports without an independent evaluation of the technology’s precision or an audit of whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect passenger privacy,” wrote a bipartisan group of senators leading the watchdog effort.
“Americans don’t want a national surveillance state, but right now, more Americans than ever before are having their faces scanned at the airport without being able to exercise their right to opt-out.”
4. Word needs to spread that you can opt out
By politely declining TSA’s photo op, you’re not only protecting your own rights and privacy, you’re also educating fellow passengers that they can (and probably should) do the same.
“I watched the TSA agent fail in their stated duty to verbally inform each passenger of the technology being used and their rights,” says Nidhi Sinha in Women in Tech.
Sure, soliciting each passenger’s consent to jeopardize their privacy may take a few extra seconds, but that hasn’t stopped law enforcement from reading each detainee their Miranda Rights. They have to, so you get a fair chance to protect yourself.
And yet, by not properly educating you about your rights, the TSA considers itself automatically entitled to your privacy — even as its methods are under investigation for both legal and privacy concerns.
Wrapping up
The TSA’s rollout of facial recognition technology could be generously described as “sketchy at best.”
The lack of transparency and safeguards has already led to the DHS launching a full-blown bipartisan investigation, and it’s rather telling that anyone with a minor in cybersecurity has already chosen to say “no.”
Luckily, opting out is effortless. Just politely say “I’d like to decline the photo” and be ready to scan your boarding pass. If you meet resistance for any reason, just show the well-intentioned agent the highlighted word “optional” on this page.
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