CAPPS II (Computer-Assisted Airline Passenger Screening System) is a United States aviation security program proposed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, shortly after the hijackings of September 11, 2001. The system purportedly would improve airport security by classifying passengers according to their risk of engaging in dangerous activities, therefore allowing security to focus their attention on high-risk individuals.

CAPPS II would force the booking agent or airline to record your name, address, phone number, date of birth and travel destination at the time you purchase a ticket. The data goes from there to the TSA, which forwards it to a contractor for verification. Government officials then would run computer programs that supposedly generates an accurate risk assessment. CAPPS II has come under attack from groups that believe it undermines both privacy and safety (because terrorists allegedly could use it to their advantage), and may be unconstitutional.

The future of CAPPS II is in question after a critical report (pdf) (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04385.pdf) by the U.S. General Accounting Office in early 2004 and opposition from watchdog groups like the ACLU, ReclaimDemocracy.org and EPIC.

External links

• The language of proposed legislation (http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=14947&c=130)
• The Transportation Security Administration, promoters of CAPPS II (http://tsa.gov)
• A critical article exploring multiple concerns with CAPPS II (http://reclaimdemocracy.org/civil_rights/capps_2_illusion_safety.html)
• ACLU page on CAPPS II (http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=13453&c=130)
• summary of report on CAPPS II by the General Accounting Office (pdf) (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04385.pdf)
• blog providing regular updates on CAPPS II (http://hasbrouck.org/blog/index.html)