Over the years that followed the 9/11 attack, airports focused on advancing their safety through upgrades in their security systems. Although the safety risks in airport transportation have declined significantly, the advanced security measures present new problems. According to an article by Nixon (2015), the airport security improvements clash with privacy issues.
According to the article, there are newly developed systems for flagging people that go into restricted areas of the airport, using radar to detect explosives, and a scanning system to make security lines fast. The video scanning, surveillance, and bomb detecting security software receive funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The changes focus on increasing convenience and security face pressure due to worries over privacy and an increase in federal spending. Though it may take years before the advancements’ implementation in airports, many worry that the video tracking tools may be used to track people even outside the airports. Researchers insist that the videos do not gather personal information that may be a privacy concern (Nixon, 2015). Adoption of the new technology is likely to reduce federal spending in the current budget-constrained environment. Maintaining the security systems will be cheaper than hiring people to do the work.
The article conducts a comprehensive analysis of the supporters’ views and the critics’ concerns regarding the implementation of the advanced security software. It provides informed opinions from researchers, government officials, the engineers, and citizens on how the software is likely to improve security at airports. The skepticism of the few can end through a guarantee that the system will only collect video data and not access personal or private information of the passengers.
Although the video surveillance software developed by Mario Sznaier and Octavia Camps raises privacy concerns, there is optimism that its implementation will be beneficial (Nixon, 2015). Successful application of the advanced security systems will improve both federal spending and airport security.
Reference
Nixon, R. (May 8, 2015). Airport Security Advances Clash with Privacy Issues. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/us/airport-security-advances-clash-with-privacy-issues.html?_r=0
