TSA behavior detection program
Aug 5, 2011 | 11:18 am
#197
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: where the chile is hot
Programs: AA,RR,NW,Delta ,UA,CO
Posts: 49,172
They could. That's the fine print about these new trusted traveler and BDO programs - they're supposed to speed up your screening, but it does not mean you're exempt.
People are getting excited about Trusted Traveler but it does not guarantee you will never be groped or NoS'd.
People are getting excited about Trusted Traveler but it does not guarantee you will never be groped or NoS'd.
'Trusted traveller' absolutely doesn't mean no grope. If a 'trusted traveller' is medically unable to assume and hold the position in the NoS (John Mccain, wheelchair pax, balance issues, etc), he/she will still receive a full grope every time he/she flies.
Now, it would seem reasonable to say even a 'trusted traveller' may occasionally be selected for a 'random' secondary. It is. Works the same way with GE or NEXUS.
However, AFAIK, CBP at a particular airport doesn't routinely decide to shut down GE processing or to send all GE folks to secondary at the whim of a single agent.
An FSD (or even an individual TSO) will still be able to handle 'trusted travellers' any way they want.
Aug 5, 2011 | 12:18 pm
#198
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 733
His response? "That's probably available on the website, but I don't have it here."
So I said, "I hear often that your website is out of date. I also know that the website, as I have been told before, doesn't apply at this checkpoint. Why would this documentation be any different?"
And that's when he called the police.
Aug 5, 2011 | 12:23 pm
#199
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,684
Mike
Aug 15, 2011 | 6:03 pm
#200
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Denton County, TX
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 737
Unrelated to SPOT, but relevant to this discussion, I recently had a STSO demand my BP and DL for "a report." I asked for the Privacy Statement mentioned in federal law for providing my personally identifying information.
His response? "That's probably available on the website, but I don't have it here."
So I said, "I hear often that your website is out of date. I also know that the website, as I have been told before, doesn't apply at this checkpoint. Why would this documentation be any different?"
And that's when he called the police.
His response? "That's probably available on the website, but I don't have it here."
So I said, "I hear often that your website is out of date. I also know that the website, as I have been told before, doesn't apply at this checkpoint. Why would this documentation be any different?"
And that's when he called the police.
What happened when the police showed up? Hopefully they realized the farce and laughed at the paranoia patrol, but nowadays I'd be pretty shocked if they didn't hassle you even further. Things are WAY out of control.
Aug 15, 2011 | 10:04 pm
#201
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 158
Now that the SPOT program has been officially announced and in operation it will be interesting to see how it develops.
In this document
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/p...a_tsa_spot.pdf
"Privacy Impact Assessment for the
Screening of Passengers by
Observation Techniques (SPOT) Program "
it states
"Section 6.0 Notice
6.1 Was notice provided to the individual prior to collection of
information?
No. BDO observations of suspicious behaviors or activity are contemporaneously recorded so there is no
opportunity to give notice."
Yes I know that this is 2008 document but it appears to be the only publicly publish document on SPOT available...
BUT
In 2005 a GAO report was published on the Secure Flight program.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8672258/.../#.TknmSYJfgzc
"GAO: TSA data collection violated Privacy Act
Agency says test passenger screening program overstepped restrictions
The Transportation Security Administration violated privacy protections by secretly collecting personal information on at least 250,000 people, congressional investigators said Friday. ........
The 1974 Privacy Act requires the government to notify the public when it collects information about people. It must say who its gathering information about, what kinds of information, why its being collected and how the information is stored. (my boldings)
So how I wonder how long before the ACLU or like a organization takes TSA to task for violating the 1974 Privacy Act because it is not posting notifications in the areas that the SPOT BDO's are collecting information??????
..
In this document
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/p...a_tsa_spot.pdf
"Privacy Impact Assessment for the
Screening of Passengers by
Observation Techniques (SPOT) Program "
it states
"Section 6.0 Notice
6.1 Was notice provided to the individual prior to collection of
information?
No. BDO observations of suspicious behaviors or activity are contemporaneously recorded so there is no
opportunity to give notice."
Yes I know that this is 2008 document but it appears to be the only publicly publish document on SPOT available...
BUT
In 2005 a GAO report was published on the Secure Flight program.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8672258/.../#.TknmSYJfgzc
"GAO: TSA data collection violated Privacy Act
Agency says test passenger screening program overstepped restrictions
The Transportation Security Administration violated privacy protections by secretly collecting personal information on at least 250,000 people, congressional investigators said Friday. ........
The 1974 Privacy Act requires the government to notify the public when it collects information about people. It must say who its gathering information about, what kinds of information, why its being collected and how the information is stored. (my boldings)
So how I wonder how long before the ACLU or like a organization takes TSA to task for violating the 1974 Privacy Act because it is not posting notifications in the areas that the SPOT BDO's are collecting information??????
..
Aug 16, 2011 | 7:39 am
#202
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 90
Article on npr - doesn't note there is no supported science behind this program
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/16/139643...ough-chat-down
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/16/139643...ough-chat-down
Aug 16, 2011 | 7:52 am
#203
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 31,000
Now that the SPOT program has been officially announced and in operation it will be interesting to see how it develops.
In this document
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/p...a_tsa_spot.pdf
"Privacy Impact Assessment for the
Screening of Passengers by
Observation Techniques (SPOT) Program "
it states
"Section 6.0 Notice
6.1 Was notice provided to the individual prior to collection of
information?
No. BDO observations of suspicious behaviors or activity are contemporaneously recorded so there is no
opportunity to give notice."
Yes I know that this is 2008 document but it appears to be the only publicly publish document on SPOT available...
BUT
In 2005 a GAO report was published on the Secure Flight program.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8672258/.../#.TknmSYJfgzc
"GAO: TSA data collection violated Privacy Act
Agency says test passenger screening program overstepped restrictions
The Transportation Security Administration violated privacy protections by secretly collecting personal information on at least 250,000 people, congressional investigators said Friday. ........
The 1974 Privacy Act requires the government to notify the public when it collects information about people. It must say who its gathering information about, what kinds of information, why its being collected and how the information is stored. (my boldings)
So how I wonder how long before the ACLU or like a organization takes TSA to task for violating the 1974 Privacy Act because it is not posting notifications in the areas that the SPOT BDO's are collecting information??????
..
In this document
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/p...a_tsa_spot.pdf
"Privacy Impact Assessment for the
Screening of Passengers by
Observation Techniques (SPOT) Program "
it states
"Section 6.0 Notice
6.1 Was notice provided to the individual prior to collection of
information?
No. BDO observations of suspicious behaviors or activity are contemporaneously recorded so there is no
opportunity to give notice."
Yes I know that this is 2008 document but it appears to be the only publicly publish document on SPOT available...
BUT
In 2005 a GAO report was published on the Secure Flight program.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8672258/.../#.TknmSYJfgzc
"GAO: TSA data collection violated Privacy Act
Agency says test passenger screening program overstepped restrictions
The Transportation Security Administration violated privacy protections by secretly collecting personal information on at least 250,000 people, congressional investigators said Friday. ........
The 1974 Privacy Act requires the government to notify the public when it collects information about people. It must say who its gathering information about, what kinds of information, why its being collected and how the information is stored. (my boldings)
So how I wonder how long before the ACLU or like a organization takes TSA to task for violating the 1974 Privacy Act because it is not posting notifications in the areas that the SPOT BDO's are collecting information??????
..
Nov 13, 2013 | 1:03 pm
#204
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott Gold
Posts: 349
GAO: $1 billion TSA behavioral screening program 'slightly better than chance'
Submitted without comment.
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_n...an-chance?lite
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_n...an-chance?lite
The federal government may have wasted $1 billion on a TSA program called “SPOT” that profiles people who may be “bad guys” at airports by talking to them, according to the Government Accountability Office. There is no evidence that it works, according to a GAO report being released later Wednesday.
Nov 13, 2013 | 1:26 pm
#205
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Catania, Sicily(CTA)/South Jersey (PHL)/Houston(IAH)/Red Stick, La.(BTR)/airborne in-between
Programs: United Plat (1MM), AA ExecPlat, ITA/AZ Freccia, Hilton Diam, Bonvoy Gold, Hertz Prez, IHG gold
Posts: 3,877
Nov 13, 2013 | 1:29 pm
#206
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 72,432
So, the TSA has wasted $1 billion dollars. While this really doesn't qualify as news - since it was apparent to anyone who has been paying attention to this travesty - I wonder if this finding will prompt the usual cast of BDO defenders to rise to the occasion and defend the indefensible. 
Nov 13, 2013 | 1:31 pm
#207
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 31,000
But the GAO report, obtained by NBC News before its release, concludes the training produces results that are the same as or slightly better than chance.
The program was rolled out in 2007 and now fields an estimated 3,000 behavior detection officers at 176 of the more than 450 TSA-regulated airports in the U.S., the GAO report said.
The program was rolled out in 2007 and now fields an estimated 3,000 behavior detection officers at 176 of the more than 450 TSA-regulated airports in the U.S., the GAO report said.
So that is 3,000 BDO's that can be RIF along with all of the administrative and management support positions staffed for this wasteful program.
Wish TSA (Pistole) was a more careful with our tax dollars instead of whizzing them away like has happened at TSA so often.
Nov 13, 2013 | 2:10 pm
#208
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 29,078
Submitted without comment.
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_n...an-chance?lite
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_n...an-chance?lite
The federal government may have wasted $1 billion on a TSA program called SPOT that profiles people who may be bad guys at airports by talking to them, according to the Government Accountability Office. There is no evidence that it works, according to a GAO report being released later Wednesday.
Color me unsurprised and way to go TSA
Nov 13, 2013 | 2:19 pm
#209
Formerly known as I_Hate_US_Airways
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Big D
Programs: AA Plat, Avis Chairman's, Elite w/many a hotel chain
Posts: 2,573
The saddest (& sickest) part is that NO no one on the Federal dole cares...it's not their $ so why should they want to do anything to fix the problem???
This country of ours is SERIOUSLY broken!!!
This country of ours is SERIOUSLY broken!!!
Nov 13, 2013 | 2:38 pm
#210
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 58,133
Criminal charges are in order for whoever the imbecile(s) was who introduced and for whoever kept touting this worthless excuse of a taxpayer loss. 