Transportation Security Administration
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy datesTemplate:Use American English Template:Infobox government agency
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within and connecting to the United States. It was created as a response to the September 11 attacks to improve airport security procedures and consolidate air travel security under a combined federal law enforcement and regulatory agency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The TSA develops key policies to protect the U.S. transportation system, including highways, railroads, bus networks, mass transit systems, ports, pipelines, and intermodal freight facilities. It fulfills this mission in conjunction with other federal, state, local and foreign government partners. However, the TSA's primary mission is airport security and the prevention of aircraft hijacking. It is responsible for screening passengers and baggage at more than 450 U.S. airports, employing screening officers, explosives detection dog handlers, and bomb technicians in airports, and armed Federal Air Marshals and Federal Flight Deck Officers on aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At first a part of the Department of Transportation, the TSA became part of DHS in March 2003 and is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia. As of the fiscal year 2023, the TSA operated on a budget of approximately $9.70 billion and employed over 47,000 Transportation Security Officers, Transportation Security Specialists, Federal Air Marshals, and other security personnel.
The TSA has screening processes and regulations related to passengers and checked and carry-on luggage, including identification verification, pat-downs, full-body scanners, and explosives screening. Since its inception, the agency has been subject to criticism and controversy regarding the effectiveness of various procedures, as well as incidents of baggage theft, data security, and allegations of prejudicial treatment towards certain ethnic groups.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History and mission
[edit]
The TSA was created largely in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which revealed weaknesses in existing airport security procedures.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> At the time, a myriad of private security companies managed air travel security under contract to individual airlines or groups of airlines that used a given airport or terminal facility.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Proponents of placing the government in charge of airport security, including Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, argued that only a single federal agency could best protect passenger aviation.
Congress agreed, and authorized the creation of the TSA in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001. Bush nominated John Magaw on December 10, and he was confirmed by the Senate the following January. The agency was initially placed under the United States Department of Transportation but was moved to the Department of Homeland Security when that department was formed on March 9, 2003.
The new agency's effort to hire screeners to begin operating security checkpoints at airports represents a case of a large-scale staffing project completed over a short period. The only effort in U.S. history that came close to it was the testing of recruits for the armed forces in World War II. During the period from February to December 2002, 1.7 million applicants were assessed for 55,000 screening jobs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Administration and organization
[edit]
Leadership
[edit]When TSA was part of the Department of Transportation, the head of the agency was referred to as the Undersecretary of Transportation for Security. Following the move to the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003, the position was reclassified as the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
There have been seven administrators and six acting administrators in the TSA's 23-year history. Several have come to the job after previously serving as Coast Guard flag officers, including Loy, Neffenger, and Pekoske.
Following the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which included a provision known as the TSA Modernization Act, the administrator's term was set as a five-year term retroactive to the start of current Administrator David Pekoske's term. It also made the deputy administrator a politically appointed position.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| # | Picture | Name | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:John Magaw Official TSA Portrait.jpg | John Magaw | January 28, 2002 – July 18, 2002 | Under Secretary of Transportation for Security |
| 2 | File:James M. Loy.jpg | James Loy | July 19, 2002 – December 7, 2003 | Under Secretary of Transportation for Security until Department of Homeland Security transition. |
| 3 | File:David M. Stone.jpg | David M. Stone | December 8, 2003 – June 3, 2005 | Acting until July 2004 when confirmed by United States Senate.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> |
| — | Kenneth Kasprisin | June 4, 2005 – July 26, 2005 | Acting<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 4 | File:Kip Hawley small.jpg | Kip Hawley | July 27, 2005 – January 20, 2009 | |
| — | File:Gale Rossides.jpg | Gale Rossides | January 20, 2009 – June 24, 2010 | Acting |
| 5 | File:John S. Pistole, Administrator Transportation Security Administration 2010 (official).jpg | John S. Pistole | June 25, 2010 – December 31, 2014 | |
| — | File:Mel Carraway.png | Melvin J. Carraway | January 1, 2015 – June 1, 2015 | Acting, reassigned to DHS Office of State and Local Law Enforcement following leak of DHS Inspector General red team test results showing screening failures at TSA checkpoints.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> |
| — | File:Mark Hatfield Jr.jpg | Mark Hatfield Jr. | June 1, 2015 – June 4, 2015 | Acting<ref name="auto"/> |
| — | File:Francis X. Taylor DHS.png | Francis X. Taylor | June 4, 2015 – July 3, 2015 | Acting, served concurrently as Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis. |
| 6 | File:Peter V. Neffenger.jpg | Peter V. Neffenger | July 4, 2015 – January 20, 2017 | |
| — | File:Huban A Gowadia.jpg | Huban A. Gowadia | January 20, 2017 – August 10, 2017 | Acting |
| 7 | File:David Pekoske 2nd official TSA portrait.jpg | David Pekoske | August 10, 2017 – January 20, 2025<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | Served concurrently as acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from April 11 to November 13, 2019, with day-to-day operations delegated to Acting Deputy Administrator Patricia Cogswell.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Served concurrently as acting Secretary of Homeland Security from January 20, 2021, until Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate.<ref name=ActingSecretary>Template:Cite news</ref> While serving as acting secretary, TSA was overseen by Executive Assistant Administrator for Security Operations Darby LaJoye.<ref name="LaJoyeActingAdmin">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="EAASO">Template:Cite web</ref> Fired by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. |
| — | File:Melanie Harvey.jpg | Melanie Harvey | January 20, 2025 - February 18, 2025 | Acting<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| — | File:Adam Stahl TSA Chief of Staff.jpg | Adam Stahl | February 18, 2025 - April 21, 2025 | Acting<ref name="StahlActing">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| — | File:Ha Nguyen McNeill TSA portrait.jpg | Ha Nguyen McNeill | April 21, 2025 - present | Acting<ref name="McNeillActing"></ref> |
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Organizational structure
[edit]At the helm of the TSA is the administrator, who leads the organization's efforts in safeguarding the nation's airports, railways, seaports, and other critical transportation infrastructure. Assisting the administrator is a deputy administrator, whose role is to provide support and guidance in executing the agency's mission. In addition, the TSA benefits from the expertise and leadership of several deputy assistant administrators and other executive officers, who contribute their knowledge and skills to various aspects of the agency's operations. Together, this structured leadership team forms the backbone of the TSA, working collectively to uphold and enhance the security of the nation's transportation networks. The executive assistant administrator for law enforcement is also the executive director of the Federal Air Marshal Service.
Rank structure
[edit]Headquarters<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Administrator of the TSA
- Deputy Administrator
- Chief of Staff
- Assistant Administrator, Legislative Affairs
- Assistant Administrator, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
- Executive Director, Strategy, Policy Coordination, and Innovation
- Chief Innovation Officer
- Executive Assistant Administrator, Enterprise Support
- Assistant Administrator/Component Acquisition Executive, Acquisition Program Management
- Assistant Administrator/Head Contracting Authority, Contracting and Procurement
- Assistant Administrator, Human Capital
- Assistant Administrator/Chief Information Officer, Information Technology
- Assistant Administrator, Operations Management
- Assistant Administrator, Security and Administrative Services
- Assistant Administrator, Training and Development
- Executive Assistant Administrator, Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service
- Assistant Administrator, Field Operations
- Assistant Administrator, Flight Operations
- Assistant Administrator, Operations Management
- Executive Assistant Administrator, Operations Support
- Assistant Administrator, Enrollment Services and Vetting Programs
- Assistant Administrator, Intelligence and Analysis
- Assistant Administrator, Policy, Plans, and Engagement
- Assistant Administrator/Component Requirements Executive, Requirements and Capabilities Analysis
- Executive Assistant Administrator, Security Operations
- Assistant Administrator, Compliance
- Assistant Administrator, Domestic Aviation Operations
- Assistant Administrator, International Operations
- Assistant Administrator, Operations Management
- Assistant Administrator, Surface Operations
- Chief Counsel
- Chief Culture Officer
- Assistant Administrator/Chief Financial Officer, Chief Finance Office
- Assistant Administrator, Civil Rights and Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement
- Assistant Administrator, Inspection
- Assistant Administrator, Investigations
- Chief of Staff
Regional administration
- Regional Surface Director (RSD)
Spoke–hub or Category X airport-level administration
- Federal Security Director (FSD)
- Deputy Federal Security Director (DFSD)
- Assistant Federal Security Director for Mission Support (AFSD-MS)
- Assistant Federal Security Director for Screening (AFSD-S)
- Assistant Federal Security Director for Inspection (AFSD-I)
- Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement (AFSD-LE)
- Assistant Federal Security Director Generalist (AFSD-G)
Airport-level
- Transportation Security Manager (TSM)
- Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO)
- Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO)
- Transportation Security Officer (TSO)
- Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO)
- Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO)
Airport-level rank insignias
[edit]| Frontline Officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) | Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO) | Transportation Security Officer (TSO) - F Band | Transportation Security Officer (TSO) |
| Passenger Support Specialists (PSS) | |||
| Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) | Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO) | Transportation Security Officer (TSO) - F Band | Transportation Security Officer (TSO) |
New headquarters
[edit]In August 2017, the General Services Administration announced a new headquarters for the TSA would be built in Springfield, Virginia. The new, 625,000-square-foot headquarters was built near the outskirts of Fort Belvoir and the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, and cost $316 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Insignia
[edit]
On September 11, 2018, TSA adopted a new flag representing its core values and founding principles. The design features a white, graphically stylized American eagle sitting centrally located inside rings of red and white against a field of blue, with its dynamically feathered wings outstretched in a pose signifying protection, vigilance, and commitment. The eagle's wings, which break through the red and white containment rings, indicate freedom of movement. There are nine stars and 11 rays emanating out from the top of the eagle to reference September 11. There is also a representation of land (roads) and sea which is representative of the modes of transportation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Operations
[edit]Template:Over-quotation The center for operations is located at the Freedom Center in Herndon, Virginia, and was built in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Finances
[edit]For fiscal year 2020, the TSA had a budget of roughly $7.68 billion.<ref name=FY-2020-budget>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Budget<ref name=FY-2020-budget /> | $ Million | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operations and Support | 4,850 | 63% |
| Procurement, Construction, and Improvements | 110 | 1.4% |
| Research and Development | 23 | 0.3% |
| Not specified | 2,697 | 35% |
| Total | 7,680 | 100% |
Part of the TSA budget comes from a $5.60 per-passenger fee, also known as the September 11 Security Fee, for each one-way air-travel trip originating in the United States, not to exceed $11.20 per round-trip. In 2020, this passenger fee totaled $2.4 billion or roughly 32% of the budget allocated by Congress that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Additionally, a small portion of TSA's budget comes from the loose change and small denomination cash left behind by travelers at airport security checkpoints, which TSA has been allowed to retain since 2005 under Section 44945 of title 49, United States Code. From FY 2008 through FY 2018, a total of $6,904,035.98 has been left behind, including a record $960,105.49 in FY 2018.<ref>Template:Cite book </ref> In fiscal year 2019, $926,030.44 was unclaimed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Airport screening
[edit]Private screening did not disappear entirely under the TSA, which allows airports to opt-out of the federal screening and hire firms to do the job instead. Such firms must still get TSA approval under its Screening Partnership Program (SPP) and follow TSA procedures.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Among the handful of U.S. airports with privately operated checkpoints are San Francisco International Airport, Kansas City International Airport, Greater Rochester International Airport, Tupelo Regional Airport, Key West International Airport, and Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the bulk of airport screening in the U.S. is done by the TSA's 46,661 (as of FY 2018) Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). <ref name=Gayden-Commercial-Aviation-101>Template:Cite book</ref> They examine passengers and their baggage, and perform other security duties within airports, including controlling entry and exit points, and monitoring the areas near their checkpoints.
Employees
[edit]
Among the types of TSA employees are:<ref name="dhs.gov">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Unordered list
Uniforms
[edit]In 2008, TSA officers began wearing new uniforms that have a royal blue duty shirt, dark blue (almost black) pants, and black belt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first airport to introduce the new uniforms was Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Starting on September 11, 2008, all TSOs began wearing the new uniform. One stripe on the outer edge of each shoulder board denotes a TSO, two stripes a Lead TSO, and three a Supervisory TSO.
Officers are issued badges and shoulder boards after completing a trainee period including 3-week academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia.
Personnel system and pay
[edit]The personnel system used by TSA was originally based on the FAA's personnel system.<ref>Template:USCSub</ref>
Unlike a majority of the federal government, TSA employees are not on the General Schedule pay system. Instead, a pay band system with performance-based increases was used.
In June 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas issued a memorandum which directed the TSA Administrator among other items to pay employees "at a level that is no less than that of their counterparts on the General Schedule pay scale." It also directed that TSOs be offered expanded collective bargaining rights mirroring Title 5 of the United States Code, and appeals of adverse actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 2023, a new pay system mirroring the General Schedule was introduced following appropriations made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. For TSOs, the career ladder begins at the D band and progresses to F band. Lead TSOs and supervisory TSOs are at the F and G band levels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Career ladders are also being worked on for non-TSOs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, former Administrator John Pistole granted limited collective bargaining rights to Transportation Security Officers following a union election between two federal employee unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2024, an expanded collective bargaining agreement with a 7-year term was signed between TSA and AFGE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In February 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a memorandum that cancelled the 2024 collective bargaining agreement. AFGE called it a "retaliatory action" for challenging President Donald Trump's mass layoffs of the federal workforce and vowed to fight it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Incidents
[edit]2013 Los Angeles airport shooting
[edit]Template:Main On Friday, November 1, 2013, TSA officer Gerardo I. Hernandez, age 39, was shot and killed by a lone gunman at the Los Angeles International Airport. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, who was shot and wounded by law enforcement officers before being taken into custody.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ciancia was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a hand-written note that said he "wanted to kill TSA and pigs". Hernandez was the first TSA officer to be killed in the line of duty.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2015 New Orleans airport attack
[edit]On March 21, 2015, 63-year-old Richard White entered the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport armed with six Molotov cocktails, a gasoline lighter, and a machete. White began assaulting passengers and Transportation Security Administration officers by spraying them with a can of wasp killer, then started swinging his machete. A TSA agent blocked the machete with a piece of luggage, as White ran through a metal detector. A Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff shot and killed White as he was chasing a TSA officer with his machete.<ref name="USAToday">Template:Cite news</ref>
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
[edit]TSA continued working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, TSA cumulatively had 4,978 federal employees test positive for COVID-19: 4,219 of those employees recovered, and 12 died as a result of the virus.<ref name="tsa-covid">Template:Cite web</ref>
Screening processes and regulations
[edit]
Passenger and carry-on screening
[edit]Identification requirements
[edit]The TSA requires passengers 18 and older to show a valid ID at the security checkpoint before boarding their flight. Valid forms of identification include passports from the U.S. or a foreign government, state or tribal-issued photo identification, or military ID. Passengers that do not have ID are often still allowed to fly if their identity can be verified through alternate means satisfying a certificate of identity.<ref name=identification>Template:Cite web</ref>
REAL ID requirements
[edit]Passed by Congress in 2005, the Real ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, like TSA, from accepting licenses and identification cards for official purposes from states that do not meet these standards.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Implementation has been deferred for two decades by DHS, and enforcement has never begun.
Current list of acceptable IDs
[edit]- Federally recognized:
- Driver's licenses, enhanced driver's licenses or other photo identity cards issued by U.S. state or territorial Departments of Motor Vehicles.
- Tribal photo identification issued by a tribe federally recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Canadian provincial or territorial driver's licence, photo card or Indigenous Services Canada card
- Passport issued by a recognized foreign country
- Airline employee or flight crew ID
- Security identification display area (SIDA) badge issued by the airport.
- Federally issued:
- HSPD-12/ FIPS 201 PIV cards issued to federal employees and contractors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- U.S. Department of State-issued:
- U.S Department of Homeland Security-issued:
- CBP trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- USCIS refugee travel document
- USCIS re-entry permit
- USCIS permanent resident card (aka green card)
- USCIS employment authorization document (aka work permit)<ref name="identification" />
- TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
- Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC)
- U.S. Department of Defense-issued:
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-issued:
Passenger names are compared against the No Fly List, a list of about 21,000 names (Template:As of) of suspected terrorists who are not allowed to board.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Passenger names are also compared against a longer list of selectees; passengers whose names match names from this list receive a more thorough screening before being potentially allowed to board.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The effectiveness of the lists has been criticized on the basis of errors in how those lists are maintained,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> for concerns that the lists are unconstitutional, and for its ineffectiveness at stopping Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to detonate plastic explosives in his underwear, from boarding an aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the airport security checkpoint, passengers are screened to ensure they are not carrying prohibited items. These include most sorts of sharp objects, many sporting goods such as baseball bats and hockey sticks, guns or other weapons, many sorts of tools, flammable liquids (except for conventional lighters), many forms of chemicals and paint.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, passengers are limited to Template:Convert of almost any liquid or gel, which must be presented at the checkpoint in a clear, one-quart zip-top bag.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These restrictions on liquids were a reaction to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.
The number of passengers who have been detected bringing firearms onto airplanes in their carry-on bags has increased in recent years, from 976 in 2009 to 4,239 in 2018, according to the TSA. Indeed, a new record high for firearms found in carry-on bags has been set every year since 2008.<ref>Template:Cite book </ref> In 2010 an anonymous source told ABC News that undercover agents managed to bring weapons through security nearly 70 percent of the time at some major airports.<ref name=quinn/> Firearms can be legally checked in checked luggage on domestic flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In some cases, government leaders, members of the US military and law-enforcement officials are allowed to bypass security screening.<ref name="AP112310" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
TSA PreCheck
[edit]
In a program that began in October 2011, the TSA's PreCheck Program allows selected members of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin America, Southwest Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue, and Sun Country Airlines frequent flyer programs, members of Global Entry, Free and Secure Trade (FAST), NEXUS, SENTRI and members of the US military, along with cadets and midshipmen of the United States service academies<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to receive expedited screening for domestic and select international itineraries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of March 2019, this program was available at more than 200 airports.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After completing a background check, being fingerprinted,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and paying an $85 fee, travelers will get a Known Traveler Number. The program has led to complaints of unfairness and longer wait lines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Aeromexico, Etihad Airways, Cape Air, and Seaborne Airlines joined the program bringing the total number of member carriers to 16.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 15, 2015, the program expanded to include Allegiant Air.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 21, 2016, it was announced that Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines will also join the program starting in the fall of 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On August 31, 2016, the program expanded to include Lufthansa,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and on September 29, 2016, Frontier Airlines was added.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, 11 more airlines were added on January 26,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and another seven were added on May 25.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of March 2019, a total to 65 carriers were participating in the program.
In October 2013, the TSA announced that it had begun searching a wide variety of government and private databases for information about passengers before they arrive at the airport. They did not say which databases were involved, but TSA has access to past travel itineraries, property records, physical characteristics, law enforcement, and intelligence information, among others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Large printer cartridges ban
[edit]After the October 2010 cargo planes bomb plot, in which cargo containing laser printers with toner cartridges filled with explosives were discovered on separate cargo planes, the U.S. prohibited passengers from carrying certain printer cartridges on flights.<ref name="washingtonpost3">Template:Cite news</ref> The TSA said it would ban toner and ink cartridges weighing over 16 ounces (453 grams) from all passenger flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pcmag1">Template:Cite news</ref> The ban applies to both carry-on bags and checked bags, and does not affect average travelers, whose toner cartridges are generally lighter.<ref name="pcmag1"/>
November 2010 enhanced screening procedures
[edit]Beginning in November 2010, TSA added new enhanced screening procedures. Passengers are required to choose between an enhanced patdown (allowing TSOs to more thoroughly check areas on the body such as waistbands, groin, and inner thigh)<ref name="AP112310">Template:Cite news</ref> or instead to be imaged by the use of a full body scanner (that is, either backscatter X-ray or millimeter wave detection machines) in order to fly. These changes were made in reaction to the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab bombing attempt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Pat-downs
[edit]The new pat-down procedures, which were originally not made public,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "routinely involve the touching of buttocks and genitals"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as breasts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These procedures were controversial, and in a November 2010 poll, 50% of those polled felt that the new pat-down procedures were too extreme, with 48% feeling them justified.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A number of publicized incidents created a public outcry against the invasiveness of the pat-down techniques,<ref>Michigan Man Left Covered in Own Urine following TSA Pat-Down Template:Webarchive Fox News Detroit, November 22, 2010.</ref><ref>Mike Clary, Full-body scanners trigger concerns for some fliers Template:Webarchive, Sun Sentinel, November 22, 2010.</ref><ref>Airport screening horror stories: Could a pat-down backlash cripple holiday airline travel? Template:Webarchive, The Post-Standard, November 22, 2010.</ref> in which women's breasts and the genital areas of all passengers are patted.<ref name="Sharkey"/> Pat-downs are carried out by agents of the same gender as the passenger.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Concerns were raised as to the constitutionality of the new screening methods by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.<ref>Balko, Radley Q: Why Has the ACLU Been Silent About TSA Abuses? A: Because You Haven't Been Listening Template:Webarchive Reason</ref> As of April 2011, at least six lawsuits were filed for violation of the Fourth Amendment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Rosen has supported this view, saying "there's a strong argument that the TSA's measures violate the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures."<ref>Rosen, Jeffrey (November 28, 2010) The TSA is invasive, annoying – and unconstitutional, Washington Post</ref> Concerns were also raised about the effects of these pat-downs on survivors of sexual assault.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2014, Denver police launched an investigation against a screener at Denver International Airport over what the passenger stated was an intrusive patdown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Full body scanners
[edit]Template:Main Template:See also
TSA has used two kinds of full body imaging technology since first deploying them in airports in 2010. Previously backscatter X-ray scanners were used which produced ionizing radiation. After criticism the agency now uses only millimeter wave scanners which use non-ionizing radiation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The TSA refers to both systems as Advanced Imaging Technologies or AIT. Critics sometimes refer to them as "naked scanners," though operators no longer see images of the actual passenger, which has been replaced by a stick figure with boxes indicating areas of concern identified by the machine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" /> In 2022, TSA announced it will allow passengers to select the gender marker of their choice and alter algorithms used by the machines to be inclusive of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals. Previously the agency required screeners to select a male or female button based on a brief glance at the passenger as they entered the machine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Passengers are directed to hold their hands above their heads for a few seconds while front and back images are created.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> If the machine indicates an anomaly to the operator, or if other problems occur, the passenger is required to receive a pat-down of that area.
Full-body scanners have also proven controversial due to privacy and health concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the scanners a "virtual strip search."<ref name="Puzzanghera">
Jim Puzzanghera, 'Invasive' airport pat-downs not going away for the holidays, Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2010.</ref> Female passengers have complained that they are often singled out for scanning, and a review of TSA records by a local CBS affiliate in Dallas found "a pattern of women who believe that there was nothing random about the way they were selected for extra screening."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The TSA, on their website, states that they have "implemented strict measures to protect passenger privacy which is ensured through the anonymity of the image,"<ref>"Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT)" - Retrieved September 19, 2012,</ref> and additionally states that these technologies "cannot store, print, transmit or save the image, and the image is automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared by the remotely located security officer."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This claim, however, was proven false after multiple incidents involving leaked images. The machines do in fact have the ability to "save" the images and while this function is purported to be "turned off" by the TSA in screenings, TSA training facilities have the save function turned on.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>One Hundred Naked Citizens: One Hundred Leaked Body Scans Template:Webarchive. Gizmodo.com. Retrieved on April 28, 2014.</ref>
As early as 2010, the TSA began to test scanners that would produce less intrusive "stick figures".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2011, the TSA began testing new software on the millimeter-wave machines already used at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport that automatically detects potential threats on a passenger without the need for having an officer review actual images. Instead, one generic figure is used for all passengers and small yellow boxes are placed on areas of the body requiring additional screening.<ref name=":1">News.cheapflights.com Template:Webarchive</ref> The TSA announced in 2013 that the Rapiscan's backscatter scanners would no longer be used since the manufacturer of the machines could not produce "privacy software" to abstract the near-nude images that agents view and turn them into stick-like figures. The TSA continues to use other full-body scanners.<ref>[1]"TSA dumps near-naked Rapiscan body scanners"</ref>
Health concerns have been raised about both scanning technologies.
With regards to exposure to radiation emitted by backscatter X-rays, and there are fears that people will be exposed to a "dangerous level of radiation if they get backscattered too often". Ionizing radiation is considered a non-threshold carcinogen, but it is difficult to quantify the risk of low radiation exposures.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Active millimeter wave scanners emit radiation which is non-ionizing, does not have enough energy to directly damage DNA, and is not known to be genotoxic.<ref name="Cancer.org">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Ryan 2000">Template:Cite journal "Thus, it is clear that RF radiation is not genotoxic and therefore cannot initiate cancer... the majority of such studies have shown that chronic exposure of animals to RF in the range of 435 to 2,450 MHz did not significantly alter the development of tumors in a number of animal cancer models... the same acceleration of skin cancer development and reduction in survival occurred in animals exposed to chronic confinement stress in the absence of RF exposure, suggesting that the RF effect could possibly be due to a non-specific stress reaction."</ref><ref name=carcinogenesis>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Reverse screenings
[edit]In April 2016, TSA Administrator, Peter V. Neffenger told a Senate committee that small airports had the option to use "reverse screening" – a system where passengers are not screened before boarding the aircraft at departure, but instead are screened upon arrival at the destination. The procedure is intended to save costs at airports with a limited number of flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Reactions
[edit]After the November 2010 initiation of enhanced screening procedures of all airline passengers and flight crews, the US Airline Pilots Association issued a press release stating that pilots should not submit to full-body scanners because of unknown radiation risks and calling for strict guidelines for pat-downs of pilots, including evaluation of their fitness for duty after the pat-down, given the stressful nature of pat-downs.<ref name="Sharkey">Joe Sharkey, Screening Protests Grow as Holiday Crunch Looms Template:Webarchive, New York Times, November 15, 2010.</ref><ref>President's Message, US Airline Pilots Association press release, November 8, 2010.</ref> Two airline pilots filed suit against the procedures.<ref>Steve Everly and Randy Heaster, Airline security gets privateTemplate:Dead link, The Kansas City Star, November 19, 2010.</ref>
In March 2011, two New Hampshire state representatives introduced proposed legislation that would criminalize as sexual assault invasive TSA pat-downs made without probable cause.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2011, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that would make it illegal for Transportation Security Administration officials to touch a person's genitals when carrying out a patdown. The bill failed in the Senate after the Department of Justice threatened to make Texas a no-fly zone if the legislation passed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the United States House of Representatives, Ron Paul introduced the American Traveler Dignity Act (H.R.6416),<ref>Ron Paul Would Like to Give You Back Your Dignity Template:Webarchive, New York magazine, November 18, 2010</ref> but it stalled in committee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On July 2, 2010, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit in federal court asking to halt the use of full-body scanners by the TSA on Fourth amendment grounds, and arguing that the TSA had failed to allow a public notice and rulemaking period. In July 2011, the D.C. Circuit court of appeals ruled that the TSA did violate the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to allow a public notice and comment rule-making period. The Court ordered the agency to "promptly" undertake a public notice and comment rulemaking. In July 2012, EPIC returned to court and asked the court to force enforcement; in August, the court granted the request to compel the TSA to explain its actions by the end of the month.<ref>ARS Technica Template:Webarchive- Posted August 2, 2012; Retrieved August 8, 2012,</ref> The agency responded on August 30, saying that there was "no basis whatsoever for (The DC Circuit Court's) assertion that TSA has delayed implementing this court's mandate," and said it was awaiting approval from the Department of Homeland Security before the hearings take place. The TSA also said that it was having "staffing issues" regarding the issue, but expects to begin hearings in February 2013.<ref>Template:Cite magazine TSA Denies Stonewalling Nude Body-Scanner Court Order.</ref> The comment period began on March 25, 2013<ref>Template:Cite web TSA to Ask Public About Naked Image Scanners, Pat-downs</ref><ref name="regulations">Template:Cite web</ref> and closed on June 25, 2013, with over 90% of the comments against the scanners.<ref name="regulations" /> As of October 2015, no report has been issued.
Two separate Internet campaigns promoted a "National Opt-Out Day," the day before Thanksgiving, urging travelers to "opt out" of the scanner and insist on a pat-down.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The enhanced pat-down procedures were also the genesis of the "Don't touch my junk" meme.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
March 2017 electronic device restrictions
[edit]On March 21, 2017, the TSA banned electronic devices larger than smartphones from being carried on flights to the U.S. from 10 specific airports located in Muslim-majority countries. The order cited intelligence that "indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation and are aggressively pursuing innovative methods to undertake their attacks, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items".<ref name="ars-tsa17ban">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="CBC-nsa17ban">Template:Cite web</ref> The restrictions were ended in July following changes in screening procedures at the specified airports.
Checked baggage
[edit]
In order to be able to search passenger baggage for security screening, the TSA will cut or otherwise disable locks they cannot open themselves. The agency authorized two companies to create padlocks, lockable straps, and luggage with built-in locks that can be opened and relocked by tools and information supplied by the lock manufacturers to the TSA. These are Travel Sentry and Safe Skies Locks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> TSA agents sometimes cut these locks off instead of opening them, and TSA received over 3,500 complaints in 2011 about locks being tampered with.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Travel journalist and National Geographic Traveler editor Christopher Elliott describes these locks as "useless" at protecting the goods within,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> whereas SmarterTravel wrote in early 2010 that the "jury is out on their effectiveness", while noting how easy they are to open.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In November 2014, The Washington Post inadvertently published a photograph of all seven of the TSA master keys in an article<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> about TSA baggage handling. The photograph was later removed from the original article, but it still appears in some syndicated copies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2015, this gained the attention of news sites.<ref name="dangers">Template:Cite web</ref> Using the photograph, security researchers and members of the public have been able to reproduce working copies of the master keys using 3D printing techniques.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The incident has prompted discussion about the security implications of using master keys.<ref name="dangers" />
Non-airport regulation
[edit]While most known for their role in airports, the TSA is also responsible for other transportation related regulations, including those without passengers. For example, the TSA was responsible for setting up cybersecurity regulations after the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May 2021. As of August 2022, they issued revised cybersecurity directives for oil and gas providers more focused on performance-based measures, following extensive input from federal regulators and private industry stakeholders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Criticism and controversy
[edit]Effectiveness of screening procedures
[edit]
Undercover operations to test the effectiveness of airport screening processes are routinely carried out by the TSA's Office of Investigations,<ref name="Elias2010">Template:Cite book</ref> TSA's red team,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office.
A 2004 report by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found that TSA officials had collaborated with Covenant Aviation Security (CAS) at San Francisco International Airport to alert screeners to undercover tests.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From August 2003 until May 2004, precise descriptions of the undercover personnel were provided to the screeners. The handing out of descriptions was then stopped, but until January 2005 screeners were still alerted whenever undercover operations were being undertaken.<ref>San Francisco International Airport Screening tests were sabotaged Template:Webarchive, San Francisco Chronicle, November 17, 2006</ref> When no wrongdoing on the part of CAS was found, the contract was extended for four years. Some CAS and TSA workers received disciplinary action, but none were fired.<ref name="sfgate2006">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A report on undercover operations conducted in October 2006 at Newark Liberty International Airport was leaked to the press. The screeners had failed 20 of 22 undercover security tests, missing numerous guns and bombs. The Government Accountability Office had previously pointed to repeated covert test failures by TSA personnel.<ref>Airport screeners fail to see most test bombs Template:Webarchive, The Seattle Times, October 28, 2006</ref><ref>Screeners at Newark fail to find 'weapons' Template:WebarchiveTemplate:Spaced ndashAgents got 20 of 22 'devices' past staff. The Star-Ledger, October 27, 2006.</ref> Revealing the results of covert tests is against TSA policy, and the agency responded by initiating an internal probe to discover the source of the leak.<ref>TSA seeks source of leaks on airport security tests, The Star-Ledger, October 31, 2006 Template:Webarchive</ref>
In July 2007, the Times Union of Albany, New York reported that TSA screeners at Albany International Airport failed multiple covert security tests conducted by the TSA. Among them was a failure to detect a fake bomb.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>
In December 2010, ABC News Houston reported in an article about a man who accidentally took a forgotten gun through airport security, that "the failure rate approaches 70 percent at some major airports".<ref name="quinn">Template:Cite news</ref>
In June 2011, TSA fired 36 screeners at the Honolulu airport for regularly allowing bags through without being inspected.<ref>Poole, Robert (September 19, 2011) Massive firing at HNL Honolulu Airport, CNN</ref>
In 2011, an artist, Geoff McGann, was detained by the TSA, arrested, and charged for wearing a watch which contained visible wiring and fuse-like elements, despite containing no explosive ingredients.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2012, American attorney Jonathan Corbett published video demonstrating a vulnerability in TSA's body scanners that would allow metallic objects to pass undetected.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> TSA downplayed, though did not deny, the vulnerability,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and researchers later confirmed its existence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In May 2012, a report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General stated that the TSA "does not have a complete understanding" of breaches at the nation's airports, with some hubs doing very little to fix or report security breaches. These findings will beTemplate:Update inline presented to Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web Report: TSA Security Breaches Mishandled</ref> Rep. Darrell Issa, then-chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. John Mica, then-chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, were reported in 2012 to have had several joint hearings concerning the cost and benefits of the various safety programs including full-body scanners, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), and the behavior detection program, among others.<ref>Joint house hearing- Retrieved August 19, 2012</ref>
A 2015 investigation by the Homeland Security Inspector General revealed that undercover investigators were able to smuggle banned items through checkpoints in 95% of their attempts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Some measures employed by the TSA have been accused of being ineffective and fostering a false sense of safety.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This led security expert Bruce Schneier to coin the term security theater to describe those measures.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Unintended consequences of screening enhancements
[edit]Two studies by a group of Cornell University researchers asserted that increased airport security may have increased road fatalities, as would-be air travelers decide to drive and are exposed to the far greater risk of dying in a car accident.<ref name="cornell1" /><ref name="cornell2" /> In 2005, the researchers looked at the immediate aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and found that the change in passenger travel modes led to 242 added driving deaths per month.<ref name="cornell1">Template:Cite journal</ref> In all, they estimated that about 1,200 driving deaths could be attributed to the short-term effects of the attacks. The study attributes the change in traveler behavior to two factors: fear of terrorist attacks and the wish to avoid the inconvenience of strict security measures; no attempt is made to estimate separately the influence of each of these two factors.
In 2007, the researchers studied the specific effects of a change to security practices instituted by the TSA in late 2002. They concluded that this change reduced the number of air travelers by 6%, and estimated that consequently, 129 more people died in car accidents in the fourth quarter of 2002.<ref name="cornell2">Template:Cite web</ref> Extrapolating this rate of fatalities, New York Times contributor Nate Silver remarked that this is equivalent to "four fully loaded Boeing 737s crashing each year."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 2007 study also noted that strict airport security hurts the airline industry; it was estimated that the 6% reduction in the number of passengers in the fourth quarter of 2002 cost the industry $1.1 billion in lost business.<ref name="Blalock2007">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Sexual assaults
[edit]In April 2015, NBC Denver news ran a story on two related employees coordinating amongst themselves to falsely flag attractive passengers for groping. According to NBC, while the TSA fired the employees, it took steps to protect the identity of the employees, which NBC suggested was an effort to shield them from state prosecution. The state prosecutor eventually declined to charge the individuals, as none of the unknowingly groped passengers had come forward to complain. Following the incident, Time magazine ran a story quoting a former TSA employee, who claimed groping is business as usual.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In August 2015, a TSA agent was charged for sexually assaulting a Korean exchange student at New York LaGuardia Airport. After the woman complied with his order to go into the restroom for further screening, the agent assaulted her. TSA in a press release after firing the worker stated passengers should be aware it does not screen people after the pass through security — this despite TSA having dogs in secure areas sniffing luggage for contraband that would require a human inspection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2021, former TSA agent Jonathan Lomeli was convicted of assault after an incident where he tricked a woman into showing her breasts under the guise of it being part of a security screening.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Smuggling drugs and weapons
[edit]In 2012, a number of people including TSA employees were arrested in Los Angeles Airport after they were found to be a part of a drug smuggling gang.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2021, a TSA employee was arrested at JFK Airport after she tried to smuggle guns through a metal detector.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Baggage theft
[edit]
The TSA has been criticized for an increase in baggage theft after its inception.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reported thefts include both valuable and dangerous goods, such as laptops, jewelry,<ref name="exposed">Template:Cite news</ref> guns,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and knives.<ref name="pleadguilty">Template:Cite news</ref> Such thefts have raised concerns that the same access might allow bombs to be placed aboard aircraft.<ref name="AirportInsecurity">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2004, over 17,000 claims of baggage theft were reported.<ref name="exposed" /> As of 2004, 60 screeners had been arrested for baggage theft,<ref name=exposed/> a number which had grown to 200 screeners by 2008.<ref name="tipsswipe">Template:Cite news</ref> 11,700 theft and damage claims were reported to the TSA in 2009, a drop from 26,500 in 2004, which was attributed to the installation of cameras and conveyor belts in airports.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A total of 25,016 thefts were reported over the five-year period from 2010 to 2014.<ref name="hidden">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:As of, the TSA employed about 60,000 screeners in total (counting both baggage and passenger screening)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and approximately 500 TSA agents had been fired or suspended for stealing from passenger luggage since the agency's creation in November 2001. The airports with the most reported thefts from 2010 to 2014 were John F. Kennedy International Airport, followed by Los Angeles International Airport and Orlando International Airport.<ref name="hidden" />
In 2008, an investigative report by WTAE in Pittsburgh discovered that despite over 400 reports of baggage theft, about half of which the TSA reimbursed passengers for, not a single arrest had been made.<ref name="wtae">Template:Cite news</ref> The TSA does not, as a matter of policy, share baggage theft reports with local police departments.<ref name=wtae/>
In September 2012, ABC News interviewed former TSA agent Pythias Brown, who admitted to stealing more than $800,000 worth of items during his employment with the agency. Brown stated that it was "very convenient to steal", and that poor morale within the agency led agents to steal from passengers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In September 2023, NBC Miami ran a story regarding 3 TSA employees who were arrested for grand theft after being filmed on security cameras stealing cash, and goods from handbags.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The TSA has also been criticized for not responding properly to theft and failing to reimburse passengers for stolen goods. For example, between 2011 and 2012, passengers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported $300,000 in property lost or damaged by the TSA. The agency only reimbursed $35,000 of those claims.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Similar statistics were found at Jacksonville International Airport – passengers reported $22,000 worth of goods missing or damaged over the course of 15 months. The TSA only reimbursed $800 total of this amount.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Data security incidents
[edit]Employee records lost or stolen
[edit]In 2007, an unencrypted computer hard drive containing Social Security numbers, bank data, and payroll information for about 100,000 employees was lost or stolen from TSA headquarters. Kip Hawley alerted TSA employees to the loss, and apologized for it. The agency asked the FBI to investigate. There were no reports that the data was later misused.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Unsecured website
[edit]In 2007, Christopher Soghoian, a blogger and security researcher, said that a TSA website was collecting private passenger information in an unsecured manner, exposing passengers to identity theft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The website allowed passengers to dispute their inclusion on the No Fly List. The TSA fixed the website several days after the press picked up the story.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigated the matter,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and said the website had operated insecurely for more than four months, during which more than 247 people had submitted personal information.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The report said the TSA manager who awarded the contract for creating the website was a high-school friend and former employee of the owner of the firm that received the contract.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It noted:
Neither Desyne nor the Technical Lead on the traveler redress website have been sanctioned by TSA for their roles in the deployment of an insecure website. TSA continues to pay Desyne to host and maintain two major web-based information systems. TSA has taken no steps to discipline the Technical Lead, who still holds a senior program management position at TSA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In December 2009, someone within the TSA posted a sensitive manual titled "Screening Management SOP" on secret airport screening guidelines to an obscure URL on the FedBizOpps website. The manual was taken down quickly, but the breach raised questions about whether security practices had been compromised.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Five TSA employees were placed on administrative leave over the manual's publication, which, while redacted, had its redaction easily removed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other criticisms
[edit]Other common criticisms of the agency have also included assertions that TSA employees have slept on the job,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> bypassed security checks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and failed to use good judgment and common sense.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite video</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
TSA agents are also accused and convicted of having mistreated passengers; having sexually harassed passengers;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> having used invasive screening procedures, including touching the genitals, along with those of children;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> misusing body scanners to ogle female passengers;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> having searched passengers or their belongings for items other than weapons or explosives;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and having stolen from passengers.<ref name="wtae"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news (Registration required). Full text here. Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The TSA fired 28 agents and suspended 15 others after an investigation determined they failed to scan checked baggage for explosives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The TSA was also accused of having spent lavishly on events unrelated to airport security,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> having wasted money in hiring,<ref name="Traveler0307">Template:Cite news</ref> and having had conflicts of interest.<ref>Poole, Robert (April 13, 2010) Get the Government Out of Airport Screening: The TSA's conflicts of interest prevent better, cheaper security Template:Webarchive, Reason</ref>
The TSA was accused of having performed poorly at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration viewing areas, which left thousands of ticket holders excluded from the event in overcrowded conditions, while those who had arrived before the checkpoints were in place avoided screening altogether.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2013, dozens of TSA workers were fired or suspended for illegal gambling at Pittsburgh International Airport,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and eight TSA workers were arrested in connection with stolen parking passes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.Template:Citation needed
A 2013, GAO report showed a 26% increase in misconduct among TSA employees between 2010 and 2012, from 2,691 cases to 3,408.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another GAO report said that there is no evidence that the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) behavioral detection program, with an annual budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, is effective.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A 2013 report by the Homeland Security Department Inspector General's Office charged that TSA was using criminal investigators to do the job of lower-paid employees, wasting millions of dollars a year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 3, 2013, the United States House of Representatives passed the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act (H.R. 2719; 113th Congress) in response to criticism of the TSA's acquisition process as wasteful, costly, and ineffective.<ref name=techreform1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="18 July 2013">Template:Cite web</ref> If the bill became law, it would require the TSA to develop a comprehensive technology acquisition plan and present regular reports to Congress about its successes and failures to adhere to this plan. An April 2013 report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General indicated that the TSA had 17,000 items with an estimated cost of $185.7 million stored in its warehouses on May 31, 2012.<ref name=oigreportonwarehouse>Template:Cite web</ref> The auditors found that "TSA stored unusable or obsolete equipment, maintained inappropriate safety stock levels, and did not develop an inventory management process that systematically deploys equipment."<ref name="oigreportonwarehouse"/>
In January 2014, Jason Edward Harrington, a former TSA screener at O'Hare International Airport, said that fellow staff members assigned to review body scan images of airline passengers routinely joked about fliers' weight, attractiveness, and penis and breast sizes. According to Harrington, screeners would alert each other to attractive female passengers with the code phrase "Hotel Papa" so that staff would have an opportunity to view the passengers' nude form in body scanner monitors and retaliated against rude flyers by delaying them at the checkpoint. TSA Administrator John Pistole responded by saying that all the scanners had been replaced and the screening rooms were disabled. He did not deny that the behaviors described by Harrington took place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2016, actress Susan Sarandon claimed that during the entire time of the Bush administration she was "harassed every time I came into the country". She said that she hired two lawyers to contact the TSA to determine why she had been targeted but that she assumed it was because she was critical of the Bush administration. She said the harassment stopped after her attorneys followed up a second time with the TSA.<ref>Interview on The Late, Late Show with James Corden. CBS Corporation. May 3, 2016.</ref>
In July 2018, a case heard in the Third Circuit Appeals Court ruled that TSA agents are not "investigative or law enforcement officers" and thus are not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The case extended from a woman who had been detained and arrested by TSA in 2006 but later the criminal charges were acquitted in court; she had sought damages under the FTCA for damages related to the false arrest and related matters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
An ACLU study found that the TSA disproportionately targets Arabs, Muslims and Latinos, despite DHS claims to the contrary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Public opinion
[edit]A CBS telephone poll of 1137 people published on November 15, 2010, found that 81% percent of those polled approved TSA's use of full-body scans.<ref>Poll: 4 in 5 Support Full-Body Airport Scanners CBS News, November 15, 2010.</ref> An ABC/Washington Post poll conducted by Langer Associates and released November 22, 2010, found that 64% of Americans favored the full-body X-ray scanners, but that 50% think the "enhanced" pat-downs go too far; 37% felt so strongly. Besides, the poll states opposition is lowest among those who fly less than once a year.<ref>Nate Silver, New Poll Suggests Shift in Public Views on T.S.A. Procedures Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, November 22, 2010.</ref> A later poll by Zogby International found 61% of likely voters oppose the new measures by TSA.<ref>Poll finds 61% oppose new airport security measures Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2010.</ref> In 2012, a poll conducted by the Frequent Business Traveler organization found that 56% of frequent fliers were "not satisfied" with the job the TSA was doing. 57% rated the TSA as doing a "poor job," and 34% rated it "fair." Only 1% of those surveyed rated the agency's work as excellent.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On the contrary, a 2018 Rasmussen Reports telephone poll of 1,000 Adult Americans found that 45% of respondents had an opinion of the TSA ranging from somewhat favorable to very favorable, while 39% had an unfavorable opinion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Investigations of the TSA
[edit]In 2013, The Office of Inspector General published a report titled "TSA's Actions Insufficient to Address Inspector General Recommendations to Improve its Office of Inspection". The report touched upon several topics of misconduct but the main focus of the report was of the TSA criminal investigators who received a premium on their pay despite not meeting the minimum qualification to be eligible for this pay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The TSA Office of Accountability Inspection Act of 2015 published by the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation, was based on a report of an investigation that found issues with the TSA. The act also followed up the Office of Inspector General's 2013 report, mandating that the TSA should comply with Federal Regulation and correct the wage of the TSA's Criminal Investigators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Had no action been taken this misuse of funds was estimated to cost taxpayers, in a span of five years, $17 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In response, the TSA contracted a consulting firm to assist the TSA with the Office of Inspector General recommendations. However, the Office of Inspector Generals has found the TSA's response lacking as they have yet to fix a majority of the issues brought up in the report.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Calls for abolition
[edit]Numerous groups and figures have called for the abolition of the TSA in its current form by persons and groups which include Sen. Rand Paul,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (R-KY), Rep. John Mica,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (R-FL), The Cato Institute,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Downsize DC Foundation,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FreedomWorks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and opinion columnists from Forbes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fox News,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> National Review,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> USA Today,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Vox,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Washington Examiner,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Washington Post.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The TSA's critics frequently cite the agency as "ineffective, invasive, incompetent, inexcusably costly, or all four" as their reasons for seeking its abolition.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Those seeking to abolish the TSA have cited the improved efficacy and cost of screening provided by qualified private companies in compliance with federal guidelines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
[edit]- Airline complaints
- Border Force (one of the two successor agencies to the United Kingdom Border Agency; the other being UK Visas and Immigration)
- Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
- International Civil Aviation Organization
- Lost luggage
- Okoban
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Template:Official website
- Transportation Security Administration in the Federal Register
- Screening Management Standard Operating Procedures Template:Webarchive
Template:DHS agencies Template:Federal law enforcement agencies of the United States Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- Transportation Security Administration
- Transportation government agencies of the United States
- United States Department of Homeland Security agencies
- Government agencies established in 2001
- 2001 establishments in the United States
- Aftermath of the September 11 attacks
- Transport safety organizations