Your TSA Wait Is About to Get Way Worse
That 15-minute TSA line might soon become an hour if Congress gets its way.
The Senate is considering a law that would ban TSA from requiring facial recognition at checkpoints. Sounds reasonable if you consider it a “privacy matters” situation. But every major airline is freaking out about what this means for airport security lines.
American, United, Delta, and Southwest all sent a letter basically saying: This is going to be a disaster.
What's Actually Changing
Right now, TSA uses facial recognition to speed up identity checks. The machines match your face to your ID in seconds. Under the new law, TSA would have to let anyone opt out of face scanning—and they couldn't treat opt-out passengers any differently.
That means manual ID checks for everyone who refuses the scan. Real humans examining every license. Every passport. One by one.
Senators John Kennedy (Republican) and Jeff Merkley (Democrat) are pushing this bill, arguing that TSA "invades passengers' privacy without even making it clear that they can opt out."
Fair point. But here's where it gets messy.
Why Airlines Are Panicking
The airlines' letter to Congress pulled no punches. They called this "a step backward for our national security" that would create "an overwhelming and chaotic environment at every airport security check."
Their math is brutal. Right now, 75% of TSA's budget goes to staffing. Technology helps them do more with fewer people. Force them back to manual checks, and they'll need way more officers—or way longer lines.
The airlines specifically warned this would "increase wait times considerably" and kill innovations like Touchless ID for PreCheck. Remember, TSA already screens 2 million passengers daily. Even small slowdowns cascade into massive delays.
The Privacy vs. Convenience Fight
This isn't some theoretical debate. It's about whether you'd rather protect your biometric data or catch your flight.
Privacy advocates have solid concerns. Once the government has your face scan, where does it go? How long do they keep it? Who else gets access? These aren't paranoid questions—they're reasonable worries about government surveillance.
But airlines live in the real world where missed flights cost money and angry passengers revolt. They're watching TSA use technology to keep lines moving and thinking: Why would we go backward?
What This Means for You
If this law passes, expect:
Longer security lines (potentially much longer)
More missed flights
Earlier airport arrivals needed
Frustrated TSA agents dealing with manual checks
Possible staffing shortages as TSA struggles to adapt
The irony is that you can already opt out of facial recognition. TSA doesn't advertise it, but you can request manual verification. Most people don't because it takes longer.
This law would essentially make the slower option the default for many passengers.
The Tech Reality
TSA's facial recognition isn't just about convenience. It catches fake IDs better than human eyes. It processes passengers faster. It frees up agents to watch for actual threats instead of squinting at driver's licenses.
But it also normalizes government face scanning. Today it's optional at airports. Tomorrow? Who knows.
The Bottom Line
Congress faces a classic modern dilemma: privacy or efficiency? Your face data or your time?
Airlines are betting most Americans will choose shorter lines over privacy concerns. They might be right. When you're running late for a flight, philosophical debates about surveillance take a backseat to making your gate.
The senators pushing this law believe privacy should trump convenience. They're forcing a conversation about what we're willing to trade for faster security lines.
Meanwhile, TSA is caught in the middle, trying to screen millions of passengers with technology that Congress might yank away. They're probably updating their hiring forecasts and wondering how many more agents they'll need if this passes.
What Happens Next
The bill needs to pass both chambers and get signed. Airlines will lobby hard against it. Privacy groups will push for it. TSA will probably provide data showing how much this would slow things down.
Next time you breeze through TSA in 10 minutes because a machine recognized your face, remember: that convenience might be temporary. Congress is deciding whether your privacy is worth making everyone wait longer.