As they often do, Border Agents, Airport Security, and Gate agents are up to their deceptive tactics. In their latest trickery, Agents have been telling passengers after the passengers have had their ID scanned, that the passengers needed to tell them before their ID was scanned that they wanted to opt out of biometric theft and facial recognition.
They have been intimidating people who gave their ID first before asking to opt out by saying that it’s a “new policy” and coercing them into biometric theft. Note how conniving that is. They could easily say something before the passenger’s ID is scanned, but they wait until after, on purpose. This is complete and utter manipulation.
To me, this all looks, sounds, and feels illegal. What they’re doing is obstructing and interfering with your right to opt out. So either they’re lying about this “new policy,” (check out past posts where I’ve documented how they blatantly lie) or by doing this they’re removing your right to opt out. Both of those seem illegal to me.
I have always told them that I’m opting out before I scan my ID, but nowhere does it state that you have to do it in that order.
If you happen to have your ID scanned before stating you want to opt out, and they pull this illegal malarkey, I recommend that you read them their own policy that you have a right to opt out.
At this website I created to empower people around opting out, surveillance culture and consent culture, I’ve created a downloadable pocket card that has both TSA and CBP policies on opting out, along with some tips and statements on how you can opt out. Read their own policy back to them. You have a right to opt out.
Don’t forget, you can ask for a supervisor, and you can tell the supervisor the same thing too. “I am exercising my right to opt out.”
Even if they pull you aside, which is often an intimidation tactic, continue to tell them that you have a right to opt out.
Be sure to educate yourself around the airport, airline, and country fine print on country and citizenship opt out specifications. And as I always state, if you are of any identity that white cis het capitalist ableist colonial culture doesn’t want to exist, more risk is being put on you, so consider this and keep it in mind. And if you are of any identity where less risk is placed on you, this is a great opportunity to be a co-conspirator.
I’ve been opting out of facial recognition and biometrics while traveling for almost a decade, and I’ve long been educating people about how it’s absolutely vital that we exercise our right to opt out because one day they will try to take it away from us altogether. We can’t allow the normalization of surveillance, and we must demand a consent culture. They will lie and attempt to intimidate you into giving up your precious identity. This is all part of their bigger plan to make us give up our rights to comply in advance.
So, if and when you can, opt out, opt out, opt out.
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