Slate Technology What Next TBD: The Case Against CLEAR
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Dec 17, 2023 David Zipper, a visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the controversies surrounding CLEAR, a biometric security screening service that bypasses airport security lines. Topics include the fairness of a private company inserting itself in a public process, the impact on disadvantaged groups, and the undermining of trust in government.
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Private Gatekeeping Of Public Security
- Clear is a private company that lets members cut ahead in mandatory airport security lines for a fee.
- That creates private gatekeeping of a public service and doesn't speed the collective process.
TSA Pre vs Clear: Systemic Effects
- TSA Pre-Check is a federal program that speeds screening for many travelers and improves throughput.
- Clear only reorders who goes first and thus benefits individuals but not overall line speed.
Security Breach Prompted Extra ID Checks
- A man using a false ID and ammunition passed through Clear at Reagan National and was later stopped by TSA.
- That breach led TSA to require more ID checks and slowed Clear members down.