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Checking Out, Checking You Out

In the departure lounge of Seattle Tacoma Airport, visitors flying out of the US are supposed to 'self check-out' using a US-VISIT homeland security machine (its appearance is not dissimilar to a US style free standing ATM). Whilst it did not yet appear to be obligatory a staffer informed me that not checking out would delay my next entry into the country by 'an hour or two'.

The process for checking out is: insert a machine readable passport into the slot of the security kiosk to be read; place the left index finger on the scanner; then the right finger; then have a photo recorded by a camera. If there are no problems a receipt is produced (shown above). I didn't observe anyone else using the machine and I'm not sure exactly what happens if there is a problem.

On the surface this is a good idea - speeding up the exit and subsequent re-entry of visitors by delegating some of the leaving-authentification-task to the user and technology. Sovereign countries have the right to have set the rules for people entering and leaving their country. However the self-checkout process left me feeling uneasy. Being finger printed is still strongly associated with being arrested, nor do I trust what happens with the data once it is collected. The system itself may have inherent demographic biases, though automating the process may reduce the risk of negative profiling. Ultimately the unease was a result of being an active participant in one's own verification, for a task that so often was handled by a human. I get to steady the gun to help someone else shoot me through the leg. Of course only the guilty have something to hide - as someone who is frequently pulled aside for additional checks I'm aware of the biases of data of meeting somebody's definition of some profile. Maybe it just tiredness or may be something more?

We have a choice about where to travel. This was a productive and enjoyable trip, but first and last impressions count.

Writing from Seattle | March 3, 2006 | Permalink