The U.S. government will require airlines to give passenger information to test a passenger screening system to increase airline safety, according to an Associated Press article.
The Computer Assisted Passenger Profiling System, or CAPPS II, would cross-reference databases to check criminal records. Those with questionable records would be flagged and checked more carefully at security points.
Airlines such as Delta have refused to give passenger data due to threats of boycotts and class action lawsuits.
| The issue: Airlines will be required to give up passenger data to test a passenger screening system. |
The move to increase safety is a good one, but the Transportation Security Administration needs to be more up front about what will cause a passenger to be flagged.
While someone with a homicide record might justifiably be detained, someone who checked out a book in eighth grade on bombs for science fair research would not. The line is not clear on what the TSA will find suspicious. Such checks may also increase the risk of racial profiling and make it more of a problem than it already is.
If the criteria for flagging passengers is reasonable, the possible invasion of privacy is outweighed by increased safety levels. When sitting in a pressurized tube 32,000 feet in the air, it would be nice to know everyone was checked. These background checks could prevent another Sept. 11.
It comes down to a safety issue. Israeli airlines have extremely strict security and, as a result, have had very few hijack attempts.
While the government should not have free rein to demand any kind of information whenever it feels like it, in this case it’s justifiable. As long as it does not overstep its bounds and flags only truly dangerous passengers, CAPPS II will do more good than harm.
