Digital rights group calls for boycott of airlines that use facial recognition software

A digital rights group called on passengers to fly only with airlines that don’t use facial recognition technology in an effort to end what it calls an “unethical” practice.

The organization, Fight for the Future, launched the campaign and a new website to call out airlines that scan travelers’ faces before they board international flights.

“Ubiquitous facial recognition technologies create a world where there is literally no privacy,” the organization’s new Airline Privacy website says. “Governments, corporations and law enforcement can track your every move without your consent.

“Automated and detailed profiles about you, about everywhere you go, and about everyone you associate with could be housed in databases with little to no security measures.”

Fight for Five said the practice makes people less safe.

The organization listed five airlines that use facial recognition — American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, JetBlue and Lufthansa. And five airlines it encourages travelers to use — Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Southwest Airlines and United.

Southwest told UPI it doesn’t have any plans to implement the technology.

“The idea behind running a campaign like this is to get people to really praise the ones who are not doing it right now and opt out of flying with the airlines that are doing it right now,” Jelani Drew, a member of Fight for the Future, told The Hill.

The Department of Homeland Security has plans to use facial recognition technology on almost all departing air passengers by 2023. The government said it wants to use the process to identify foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas.

In 2018, Orlando International Airport became the first airport in the United States to require face scans of all passengers arriving or departing on international flights, reports UPI.