"Freedom" Tower visitors may be subject to iris, facial scans

Rather ironic, if you ask me. To get into the Freedom Tower, you'll have to get an iris scan, your thumbprint taken, and your face matched against a database of terrorists. Not that any of that would stop someone from flying another airplane into it...

Visitors to the complex that eventually will fill the World Trade Center site might have to submit to iris scans or thumb print analysis to get into buildings, while smart cameras try to match their faces to a photo database of known terrorists. Well-paid armed guards would be on patrol and sensors would test the air for lethal gases.

news.yahoo.com...

I don't know why they mention the guards will be well-paid. Kind of an odd thing to say.

Kallstrom and city and federal officials are aiming for a higher standard of security than is currently in use for public spaces around the nation.

"This'll be reflective of the times we live in," Kallstrom said. "The consequences of attacking here could have more significance to the terrorists. It has a lot of symbolism. It's going to be extremely well protected."

Reflective of the times we live in or giving in to the terrorists? Yes, allowing the tower to be destroyed again is not the right thing to do, obviously, but you have to balance that against personal freedom or the terrorists will have won by changing America's very foundation.

Freedom Tower... what a joke.

Reflective of the times we live in or giving in to the terrorists? Yes, allowing the tower to be destroyed again is not the right thing to do, obviously, but you have to balance that against personal freedom or the terrorists will have won by changing America's very foundation.

I don't quite understand why not wanting to have a sexy target destroyed violates your "personal freedom." I suppose the sensors that sniff the air for lethal gases somehow violate my personal freedom, I wouldn't want one of those sensors recognizing my old spice deodorant (that would be a massive privacy violation!!)

Perhaps it's not ironic at all, but just very fitting that we can have a "Freedom Tower" that is very secure while at the sime time being minimally invasive. The article didn't mention anything about body xrays, strip searches, 6 month quarantines, bad breath tests or underwear checks... Now those would probably be pushing it! You have no expectation of privacy, anyway... and remember the whole article was based on what "MIGHT" be required, we've all heard lots of mights, but these don't strike be as excessive.

I saw the line about the "well paid and highly trained security personnel" and yeah, it's an odd and superfluous thing to say... I'm glad we won't be getting highschool kids on their summer vacation, I'm sure we've all been to events where if we didn't like the wait at the metal-detector, we simply walked around them :p

Originally posted by LoganCale

I don't know why they mention the guards will be well-paid. Kind of an odd thing to say.

Not really. If they aren't well-paid they might be more inclined to accept bribes. Perhaps they're just asserting that since the guards are well taken cared off, incidence of bribery should be kept to a minimum.

I don't know why they mention the guards will be well-paid. Kind of an odd thing to say.

Maybe the" well paid" thing is just thier way of saying they're not your regular K-mart rent-a-cops....like many federal buildings, banks and businesses have.

Later
Sporty

extra security is one thing.. the new freedom tower should have good security...but IRIS and Facial SCANS??? I think that is going a little too far. What will they do with all the scans after you've visited the site?

Start a new database to track us???

why, what's gonna be in the danged building that would justify that kind of security. the cia's main database?? or what.....maybe there's a top secret bio-lab on the basement floor.

if there's anything in it that justifies that kind of security, well, then maybe it shouldn't be set up as a tourist attraction, or well, whatever it is they are trying to keep all nice and secure should be somewhere else.

but, more than likely all this top notch security is just a big waste of $$$. and well, give it a year or so, the iris scanners will no longer be scanning, the fingerprinters will sit idle, and all the cameras will be disfunctional because of the lack of repair, and the security guards will be rejects from the local mcdonalds....they will not find the justification to continue funding such unnecessary security levels.

Originally posted by AlphaHumana
I don't quite understand why not wanting to have a sexy target destroyed violates your "personal freedom."

No, we don't want to have a sexy target, but iris scans will NOT prevent it from being a sexy target. If we build it, we have a sexy target. No iris scans necessary. It's there. How will iris scans prevent someone from ramming an airplane into the "Freedom Tower"? (How ironic is that name?)

In my opinion, people are ALL TO WILLING to hand over their freedom, even when it doesn't make any sense, whatsoever.

The article didn't mention anything about body xrays, strip searches... Now those would probably be pushing it!

Why? What's the difference between an iris scan and a strip search? Why wouldn't you be willing to be strip-searched for security?

Why do you hate freedom? (Sorry I couldn't resist that, but the above question still stands.)

You draw the line at strip searches and worldwatcher (below) thinks facial and iris scans are too much. Who's right?

You both are. It's ALL unnecessary violation of privacy.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
...but IRIS and Facial SCANS??? I think that is going a little too far. What will they do with all the scans after you've visited the site?

Start a new database to track us???

That's the concern of many, I suppose. I won't be visiting this building. I am doing less and less these days because of the invasion of my privacy. I do not operate as freely as I used to because I feel my privacy is not secure.

foil cap theory....

iris and facial scans will not stop terrorists from flying a plane into the building but it could stop an inside job.... could it be that is a subtle way of saying that 9/11 was an inside job???

takes foil cap off

LoganCale, what are you missing?

This is the FREEDOM Tower! Iris and facial scans are part of the whole FREEDOM experience! It's freedom, man!

Cops shaking you down in Miami and demanding ID is freedom!

Cops doing the same in Ohio is freedom!

Getting fondled at the airports is freedom!

Getting your body scanned at the airports is freedom!

When they eventually do what they're doing at the airports at train and bus stations and to you in your car on the street, it will be FREEDOM!

Why people hate freedom so much, I will never understand...good thing the prez understands and is doing something about it.

i believe that freedom tower will be a panopticon type structure eventually.

with so much security, it seems like only a small stretch

Why? What's the difference between an iris scan and a strip search? Why wouldn't you be willing to be strip-searched for security?

Why do you hate freedom? (Sorry I couldn't resist that, but the above question still stands.)

You draw the line at strip searches and worldwatcher (below) thinks facial and iris scans are too much. Who's right?

You both are. It's ALL unnecessary violation of privacy.

Forgive me for responding to a thread that's pretty old, I've been away, but we are talking about a building here. Surely such internal security methods won't protect it against another aircraft attack, I wasn't suggesting so much. But whether or not this building is all commercial or commercial/residential or whatever, it will undoubtably be a desirable location both for those that can afford to lease space in it, and for those who wish to destroy it (probably because, if one can afford to lease space in it, that person - not that I'm elite or an elitist - is probably "important" in one way or another.)

I mean, every time we fly we go through metal detectors and our luggage is swabbed for explosive residue, in 2002 as I was waiting in line to check in for my flight to return to Miami (I was at Schipol, the major airport outside Amsterdam, Netherlands)I was asked by a couple of security personel if I minded if they actually opened and searched my bags, no biggie (during that trip I had been in Russia and Czech Republic, so I figured an itinerary somewhat odd warranted it - the bastards did break a lovely Bohemian crystal flower I had bought for my mother whilst in Prague in the process... though I digress...) We don't mind such measures, and if we do, we don't subject ourselves to them. I know referencing presently accepted measures to justify future measures ("just a tad bit more" - yes, I do recognize the possible end) is a slippery slope, but to me this particular scheme doesn't seem all that insidious.

And to the one that suggested calling it the "Freedom Tower" is arrogance and something that begs to be attacked well, I must disagree. Some may call it ironic I am sure, but what can we really call it? Whatever we call it, it will remain a target, because it's a primo piece of real estate, it holds sentimental value now, and at least during my lifetime it will house/employ/whatever Americans. We can call it "Shack 35" or "Cathedral of GW" and it will still light up peoples' eyes.

I tell you what,

If you are willing to be rob onces more of your privacy rights in order to go visit a Corporate Building well. . . . I imagine that the families of the victims of 9/11 will no care as long as their shrine will be in place.

That is fine with me.

But personaly they can keep their building their ivasion of privacy and and their scans, I will be just as happy as looking to the Corporate building from a picture in magazine.

I have no desire to become a Visitor in a place that I feel violates my privacy.

Occurs that is just my personal opinion.

[edit on 14-4-2006 by marg6043]

[edit on 14-4-2006 by marg6043]

Marg, I completely agree! It has been happening since the beginning of time! First we needed to provide a "full name" then it was a "resume" then it was "social security number" and so on...

You are completely correct You know where you are applying.

Actually due to my husband line of work I have been violated in more ways that I can even express because his job.

Even as a retired military he under went a security check that lasted 2 years so you can imagine what the government knows about me, my family and my children.

I imagine they even know about our bedroom practices after those two years.