San Francisco activists object to SITA’s required biometric data-sharing with DHS

Federal aviation management rules and regional objections to federal policy have set up a clash between privacy and immigration advocates in San Francisco and airport officials over the sharing of facial recognition data.

Face biometrics collected at FacePods supplied by SITA is shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – the department responsible for aviation security. At an Airport Commission meeting this week, activists said San Francisco’s status as a “sanctuary city” means local officials must prevent data sharing with DHS to the maximum extent possible.

Area publication Mission Local reports that part of the issue is how few American realize that when they purchase a domestic air travel ticket, the information is by rule sent to the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection and now Immigration and Customs Enforcement

San Francisco International Airport contracted SITA to provide biometric security checks in 2024, and extended the contract by three years at a price of $9.8 million in June, according to the San Francisco Public Press. United also launched SITA’s Smart Path to allow passengers to use their face biometrics at SFO back in 2021.

Local activists including representatives of the Identity Project say records obtained through a public records request revealed the data sharing arrangement for the SITA devices operating at terminal 1 and 2 and International Terminal B. Hasbrouck departure gates. They have asked for airport authorities to restrict ICE’s access to certain areas of the airport and post clearer signage warning travellers about the extent of data sharing.

But as SITA explains in an article published to its website last year, Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR)  data is submitted to the government by the airlines as a legal condition of air travel. Technology providers like SITA collect this information. The post outlines the reasons why this requirements exists, from fast clearance for low-risk passengers to generating real-time alerts for law enforcement if high-risk criminal suspects or convicts attempt to travel.

“Would you trust your national security to a patchwork of disconnected systems?” SITA asks. “Or would you rather enable every stakeholder – immigration, customs, law enforcement, aviation, intelligence – to see the same, accurate data in real time, and act on it fast?”

Airport officials explained to the activists that they have no option to cease the data-sharing.

Information shared with CBP can trigger alerts to ICE, which have led to warrantless arrests at the airport. Footage of the violent arrest of a Ukrainian woman at the airport by ICE in late-July went viral online.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  data privacy  |  data sharing  |  DHS  |  immigration  |  national security  |  San Francisco  |  SITA