Prescreening of passengers is nothing new, and we are not using any new data to determine low risk passengers. Unfortunately some have confused these programs, so we wanted to take this opportunity to make clear what we are not doing:

We are not expanding the type of information we use – again we rely on the same security information passengers have been required to submit at time of booking for many years.
We are not using car registrations or employment information.
We are not using “private databases” – the info we rely on is the same info that passengers have provided for years when they book their flight.
TSA does not monitor a passenger’s length of stay in any location.
Let’s also remember that when it comes to TSA Pre✓™, passengers are choosing to apply for this program – having determined a small fee and a background check is worth expedited screening when they travel.

TSA has a very high bar when it comes to protecting the civil liberties of the traveling public. Our job is to make sure that passengers are able to travel safely, and the programs we have undertaken are designed to meet this goal while at the same time making your traveling experience a more positive one – moving from a one size fits all approach of security to one that provides a much larger part of the traveling population the opportunity to move through security faster and with less hassle.