TSA to Test SecureFlight (from ATSNN), page 1

Govt to order release of passenger data in order to "stress test" new SecureFlight system. While only a test, it looks as if we are only a hairs-breath away from passenger info becoming a Government domain

news.yahoo.com
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced the release of the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the testing phase of the Secure Flight program along with a proposed order to airlines to provide one month's worth of Passenger Name Records (PNR) data to be used for program testing. The PIA includes details of TSA's privacy policy for the testing phase of the program and the system methodology for Secure Flight.

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While I can understand the Government's position regarding "securing the airline industry", it seems that this moves us closer to a behaviorist model. The slippery slope of behavior profiling can lead to a "he looked like he was going to steal something, therefore we arrested him" standard of law.

Is it possible, however, that a behavior profiling could, in some ways, be less discrimanatory than the racial/affiliation profiling we see occuring already? I am really on the fence as to whether this is a "good"/"right" thing.