The Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025 would limit the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of facial recognition and other biometric matching at airports. It defines 1:1 matching (comparing a live biometric to a photo on an ID) and 1:N identification (comparing a live biometric to a database). The bill generally bans TSA from capturing, collecting, storing, or processing passenger biometric data gathered by facial recognition, with several exceptions. Exceptions allow document-scanning to read ID data, limited identity checks for Trusted Traveler programs with notice and opt-out options, and limited use for other passengers only with clear opt-in consent. The bill requires data minimization, short retention periods (1:N data generally no longer than 24 hours after a passenger's scheduled flight), deletion of previously collected images that would violate the new rules, and a ban on using facial recognition for passive surveillance or tracking passengers outside screening locations. It also permits short-term testing and evaluation under strict notice and deletion rules, and directs the Government Accountability Office to report annually on the TSA's use of 1:1 and 1:N systems, including effectiveness and any bias findings.
If this bill becomes law, most passengers would not have their face or other biometric data captured or stored by TSA during routine identity checks. People enrolled in Trusted Traveler programs could be asked to consent or could opt out of biometric checks; travelers not in those programs would be offered a clear opt-in choice before biometrics are used. Signs and spoken notices would inform travelers of their choices, and travelers who decline biometric checks could not be treated worse or given extra screening solely because of that choice.
No publicly available information on costs, budget effects, or funding is included in the bill text or metadata provided.
The bill text shows sponsors aim to protect passenger privacy and limit large-scale or passive biometric surveillance at airports. It emphasizes clear notice, data minimization, time limits on storage, options for consent or opt-out, and independent GAO review to assess effectiveness and potential bias.
No publicly available information on opponents' views or formal objections is included in the provided bill text or metadata.