Facial scans at US airports violate Americans’ privacy, report Says

WASHINGTON — A new report concludes that a Department of Homeland Security pilot program improperly gathers data on Americans when it requires passengers embarking on foreign flights to undergo facial recognition scans to ensure they haven’t overstayed visas.

The report, released on Thursday by researchers at the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University’s law school, called the system an invasive surveillance tool that the department has installed at nearly a dozen airports without going through a required federal rule-making process.

The report’s authors examined dozens of Department of Homeland Security documents and raised questions about the accuracy of facial recognition scans.