TSA eyes private sector to launch “touchless” biometric screening at airports

08/17/2025 / By Laura Harris

The TSA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) under its Screening Partnership Program (SPP) to recruit private companies capable of delivering turnkey biometric and digital ID screening systems as part of a $5.5 billion modernization effort.
The plan aims to replace manual, personnel-heavy screening with AI-driven, touchless systems, featuring facial recognition, iris and fingerprint scanning, machine learning-based threat detection and integrated digital ID verification tools.
Building on the TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID pilot active in 14 major airports, the agency intends to scale these systems nationwide, making them adaptable for airports of all sizes with minimal human intervention.
Privacy advocates warn that biometric data, once compromised, is irreplaceable, and that expanding access to such data, especially through private contractors, raises serious concerns about data security, oversight and misuse.
Critics like journalist Leo Hohmann describe the shift as “Orwellian,” accusing TSA of creating a two-tiered system that pressures travelers into surrendering sensitive biometric data for convenience, all without meaningful government accountability.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is seeking private-sector partners to deliver “touchless” biometric screening systems through a sweeping overhaul of its Screening Partnership Program (SPP).

In July, the TSA issued a Request for Information (RFI) to companies capable of providing turnkey biometric and digital ID screening solutions to “modernize the way passengers, baggage and cargo are screened, shifting from manual, personnel-heavy procedures toward a seamless, tech-powered experience.”

The RFI precedes the upcoming renewal of the TSA’s current SPP contracts, which are set to expire in 2026. Instead of renewing the five-year contracts, TSA is planning a new 10-year, $5.5 billion indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle – an ambitious leap from the current $3.3 billion ceiling.

TSA officials said the expanded budget reflects a belief that more airports will opt into the program, and that demand for integrated screening systems, particularly those using AI, machine learning and biometric verification, will grow significantly. (Related: American Airlines introduces touchless ID for faster airport security.)

The IDIQ structure is expected to streamline procurement and encourage broader industry participation, with task orders covering everything from passenger and baggage screening to air cargo inspections.

This vision builds on TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID pilot, a program already operating at 14 major U.S. airports, including Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Atlanta (ATL) and New York LaGuardia (LGA). The agency is calling for solutions that can combine biometric identity verification, body scanners, AI-powered threat detection and alarm resolution tools into a cohesive system that can scale to airports of any size.

Key technologies of interest include biometric digital ID verification (face, iris, and fingerprint scanning), machine learning-based threat detection for baggage and property, integration platforms to unify data across multiple screening devices, mobile app and TSA PreCheck integration and modular designs that allow for rapid deployment and flexible response to passenger volumes or threat levels.

TSA said the goal is to reduce the need for human intervention, speed up screening and improve security accuracy, without compromising passenger privacy or civil liberties.

Privacy advocates raise questions about data security

Despite the assurances, critics remain skeptical.

Privacy advocates have long warned that biometric data – including facial features, iris patterns and fingerprints – is unlike a password. Once compromised, it cannot be changed. The growing use of such identifiers by both government agencies and private contractors raises questions about data security, long-term storage and oversight.

“TSA says the live image captured at the checkpoint is compared to government-held photos from passports, Global Entry or visas, using Customs and Border Protection’s Traveler Verification Service. ‘Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance, nor shared with other entities,’ TSA states, and they are ‘deleted within 24 hours of your scheduled flight departure.’ And if you believe that, you probably believe that mRNA injections were ‘safe and effective,'” Leo Hohmann wrote in his article for Technocracy News and Trends.

“Now you know why I no longer fly. It’s become such an Orwellian, invasive experience that you literally feel violated every time you get through security. Most Americans don’t share my desire to live free and they line up for these digitized biometric identifiers, face scans, iris scans, you name it. The airports have become expert at making sure those who ‘opt in’ to these programs get through security faster and with less hassles.”

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TSA eyes private sector to launch “touchless” biometric screening at airports

Privacy advocates raise questions about data security

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