TSA chief says biometrics could reduce travel stress

David Pekoske, head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), says facial recognition and biometric technologies are here to stay, and in fact, they can reduce stress levels for passengers flying on planes.

But is it more to relieve the stress of the passengers, or for those of the TSA who check the ID?

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Pekoske spoke this week in Austin, Texas, home of the famous South by Southwest annual meetings, conferences and celebrations. The speech was delivered as part of a panel on airport security at the same time that the Federal Aviation Administration is holding a security summit in the Washington, DC suburbs.

Pekoske said the development of the technology will further speed up the screening queues at airports.

“It’s critical that there be as little friction as possible in this system while we ensure security,” he said, adding that the new technology the agency is using is more than 99 percent efficient compared to the technology used by TSA. just a few years ago. “We are constantly upgrading our camera systems, upgrading our lighting systems. We are updating our algorithms to use the most advanced algorithms and technologies we can.”