SKY-HIGH SURVEILLANCE HITS AIRLINE INDUSTRY
Southeast Airlines is pioneering an in-flight surveillance program that will use digital videocameras installed through the cabins of its planes to record passengers' activities throughout the flight as a precaution against terrorism and other threats. The charter airline, based in Largo, Fla., says it may use face recognition software to match faces to names and personal records, and plans to store the digital data for up to 10 years. "From a security standpoint, this provides a great advantage to assure that there is a safe environment at all times," says Southeast's VP of planning. The airline says that while such security measures are not required by the FAA, it expects other airlines will adopt similar systems soon. That prediction alarms privacy advocates who especially question the need for retaining the video after the flight is over. "What's the point of keeping track of everyone when nothing happens on the flight?" asks Lee Tien, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who points out that the video system could record conversations between passengers as well as capture the titles of passengers' reading material. (Wired.com 18 Jul 2003)
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