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Now that's a great idea: start a private company that co-operates closely with government agencies and offer paid services to frustrated citizens that have to deal with those agencies. Verified ID is such a company and the service it created is Clear, a "fast pass" for airport security, promising a "stress-free airport experience". To use Verified ID's marketing lingo, Clear is "the first branded consumer product in the voluntary identity credentialing industry".
To create the Clear offering, Verified ID reached an agreement with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and partnered in the Registered Traveler program. Basically, you pay US$ 100 per year, submit to a background check and what you get is a special line at major U.S. airports that is reserved for Clear card holders. Only U.S. citizens and permanent foreign residents can apply.
However, Verified ID doesn't stop at airports. The company's biometric pass system also promises "expedited security screening at multiple venues including airports, office buildings and sports arenas".
I am not sure I am looking forward to this brave new world...
18. February 2007 at 09:13 AM
tagged with:
modernes leben
, paranoia
, security