Shostack + Friends Blog Archive

UnClear where the data will go

So Clear’s Verified Line Jumper service has shut down. Aviation Week has a blog post, “
Clear Shuts Down Registered Traveler Lanes.”

Clear collected a lot of data:

The information that TSA
requires us to request is full legal name, other names used, Social Security number (optional), citizenship, Alien Registration
Number (if applicable), current home address, primary and secondary telephone numbers, current email address, date of birth,
place of birth, gender and height. TSA also lists as optional, but helpful, the following personal information: home addresses,
driver’s license number and employer’s name and address…digital photo and digital images of all of your fingerprints and your irises…your credit card.

This raises a very serious problem with a company like Clear/Verified Identity Pass, Inc. The in-depth, validated customer data is likely to count amongst such a company’s most valuable assets. Their privacy policies make no mention of what would happen to it in the event that the company goes bust.

Does anyone know where Clear was incorporated? Maybe I’ll bid at the bankruptcy auction.

[Update: Tamzen points out that there’s an update on their site, promising that Clear will abide by the “Transportation Security Administration’s Security, Privacy and Compliance Standards” and “take appropriate steps to delete the information.” Google thinks that those standards might refer to “Transportation Security Administration’s Security, Privacy and Compliance Standards.” Me, I wonder why they say “take appropriate steps” rather than just promising to delete it. Back in the day, Brill’s Content might have taken them to task for that.]

Originally published by adam on 23 Jun 2009
Last modified on 23 Jun 2009
Categories:   Air Travel   background checks   privacy   startups   Uncategorized