In the beginning, it seemed like an idea that couldn’t lose. With the advent of tortuous and often annoying post 9/11 security procedures at SFO and other U.S. airports, the notion of a way to reduce the hassle of airport screening struck most as a very attractive option.However, the rollout of technology to make all of this possible for travelers has been anything but smooth. Verified Identity Pass, the company who promised to rollout a fingerprint and iris scan process accompanied by a smart ID card called “Clear” that would allow users (for a $199 fee) to go to the head of the security line, suddenly folded their tent last June. They left 200,000 paying customers high and dry with no refunds.
If you were a “Clear” customer, you have every right to be nervous. Those who signed up had to provide extensive confidential personal information and the fate of that data has remained very much up in the air. In addition, a laptop that contained the personal information of over 30,000 customers was “misplaced” at SFO last year. The computer was found and assurances were made that the sensitive information had not been accessed. Oops……sorry about that!
A Bay Area investment group – Henry, Inc. – has stepped in recently to buy the assets of “Clear.” Their website promises to restart the security screening process again in “Winter 2009/2010.” There are no indications that the new process will use different technology or provide stronger safeguards for the customer’s sensitive personal data.
It may well be that the federal government’s lack of confidence in “fast-pass” technology for airport travelers will hold back any successful rollout of this system. In the meantime, we all continue to line up – shoeless, beltless and liquid-free. If indeed there is a technology solution that will speed us through airport security, it can’t come soon enough.
source : http://www.examiner.com/x-27653-SF-Technology-Examiner~y2009m10d30-Clear-card-security-screening-is-stuck-on-the-tarmac