Report on biometric data collection was required by July 2

Washington (July 26, 2019) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide Congress with a report on the agency’s use of biometric identification technology. As part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018, DHS was required to provide this report by July 2, 2019. The report is intended to address the privacy and security concerns stemming from the agency’s collection of facial recognition data, concerns that Senators Markey and Lee have previously raised to DHS. In their letter today, Senators Markey and Lee call on DHS to explain why it failed to meet the deadline. The letter comes in the wake of a breach of traveler and vehicle images at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). According to a CBP statement, up to 100,000 individuals were affected by the recent theft of images of license plates and travelers’ faces, which were stolen from a CBP subcontractor.

“American travelers deserve to fully understand exactly who has access to their biometric data, how long their data will be held, how their information will be safeguarded, and how they can opt out of this data collection altogether,” write Senators Markey and Lee to DHS Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan. “We therefore ask that you immediately provide this report to Congress and offer a detailed explanation of why DHS failed to meet the relevant statutory deadline.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

Senators Markey and Lee have previously questioned DHS on the effectiveness and transparency of its biometric exit program, and Senator Markey expressed concern regarding DHS’s handling of a recent data breach of personal data.

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