TSA has allegedly discontinued "Quiet Skies" program
Dec 15, 2018, 11:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
TSA has allegedly discontinued "Quiet Skies" program
The Transportation Security Administration has curtailed its controversial “Quiet Skies” domestic surveillance program, following widespread criticism that federal air marshals were spying on thousands of unwitting fliers who are not suspected of any crime or on any terrorist watch list.
Quiet Skies has not, however, been entirely silenced.Air marshals still carry out scaled-down surveillance. The agency acknowledges it will continue to monitor some travelers who have not been suspected of any crimes, but will not collect as many details about them.
Dec 16, 2018, 8:58 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
Treadstone has been shutdown. Blackbriar, however, continues on ... 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_...ne_infobox.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_...ne_infobox.jpg
Dec 1, 2020, 10:13 pm
#4
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
TSA program kept surveilling some travelers without reason, audit finds
A controversial U.S. program to monitor “high-risk” passengers at airports and on domestic flights has been poorly managed, with some fliers continuing to be monitored after they were not longer considered a risk, a government audit found. The Transportation Security Administration failed to “plan, implement, and manage the Quiet Skies program to meet the program’s mission of mitigating the threat to commercial aviation,” the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security said in its audit, released this week.
***
The program was launched in 2012 but was first reported by the Boston Globe in 2018. An audit was launched shortly after the program was publicized. The TSA has described the program as an effort to prevent terrorism by conducting extra screening at TSA checkpoints of U.S. citizens who have broken no laws but raise red flags because of their travel patterns. Through an automated system, airlines add a special coding to the boarding passes of passengers who are on the Quiet Skies list so TSA officers can pull those travelers aside for extra screening at security checkpoints.
***
Without effective procedures to ensure people are removed from the list after they are no longer considered a risk, the TSA may be subjecting travelers to more enhanced screenings and monitoring by air marshals than needed, according to the audit.
***
***
The program was launched in 2012 but was first reported by the Boston Globe in 2018. An audit was launched shortly after the program was publicized. The TSA has described the program as an effort to prevent terrorism by conducting extra screening at TSA checkpoints of U.S. citizens who have broken no laws but raise red flags because of their travel patterns. Through an automated system, airlines add a special coding to the boarding passes of passengers who are on the Quiet Skies list so TSA officers can pull those travelers aside for extra screening at security checkpoints.
***
Without effective procedures to ensure people are removed from the list after they are no longer considered a risk, the TSA may be subjecting travelers to more enhanced screenings and monitoring by air marshals than needed, according to the audit.
***
Dec 2, 2020, 3:32 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
Treadstone has been shutdown. Blackbriar, however, continues on ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_...ne_infobox.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_...ne_infobox.jpg
Dec 2, 2020, 5:19 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
A controversial U.S. program to monitor “high-risk” passengers at airports and on domestic flights has been poorly managed, with some fliers continuing to be monitored after they were not longer considered a risk, a government audit found.
Dec 2, 2020, 5:33 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
"Through an automated system, airlines add a special coding to the boarding passes of passengers who are on the Quiet Skies list so TSA officers can pull those travelers aside for extra screening at security checkpoints."
When it comes to the people who were hit by this program in the above-indicated way, I have to wonder if they figured out the "special coding" on the boarding pass.
When it comes to the people who were hit by this program in the above-indicated way, I have to wonder if they figured out the "special coding" on the boarding pass.
Dec 4, 2020, 12:43 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
I know 5 FAMs who were tasked to this surveillance program (almost all FAMs were on the days they are not flying). When I asked about it, all of them said they, and most of their colleagues, were very much opposed to this program. They are much happier now that it has been dramatically scaled back. But scaled back/curtailed means there is still warrantless surveillance occurring.
Dec 4, 2020, 7:22 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,114
Warrantless surveillance of individuals seems out of control in more than one federal agency. It is past time that agency heads are held criminally liable for programs under their purview . Surely nothing of this scope could occur without the agencies head having knowledge of such activities.
I'm still of the opinion that TSA in its present form has outlived its usefulness.
I'm still of the opinion that TSA in its present form has outlived its usefulness.