Clear, a subsidary of Verified Identity Pass, is the nations largest Registered Traveler program. Headquartered out of New York, the company Clear has developed a high-tech card that gives airport passengers access to express security lines at airports across the country. The Clear card will work at any participating U.S. airport at no additional cost and with no cap on usage of the lanes.
The Clear card is a personal ID card, the size of a credit card. It contains a photograph of the owner and a micro chip, which contains several forms of biometric data and minimal account information. The service is available only to U.S. Citizens and permanent foreign residents who are age 12 or older. Children under 12 may use the Clear lines at security when accompanied by a Clear member over 12 years or older.
The Process
Joining is Easy and takes only about 15 minutes to process member applications.
- Complete the basic biographical information online. This can be done at home on the Fly Clear web site. Here they will collect basic information such as your name, address, e-mail number, Social Security number and passport information for TSA clearance. If members do not have a personal computer with internet access this process can be done at a Clear enrollment center located at the airport. This process takes approximately 10 minutes to complete
- Complete member enrollment by stopping at the Clear enrollment center at the airport to have images of your iris and fingerprints captured. Members will also need to submit two forms of government-issued I.D., like a U.S. Passport. This process takes approximately 5 minutes.
- A encoded high-tech smart card will arrive in the mail within 14 days.
Once at the airport:
- Find the Clear security entranced line, indicated by the illuminated blue Clear display cubes.
- Proceed to Clear Kiosk and insert Clear ID card. Choose which form of biometrics, iris scan or finger prints.
- The Clear Concierge will lead you to a designated line for TSA screening, once the kiosks confirm your identity. Normal TSA screening will apply at this point, thus shoes-off, laptop-out etc.
The Technology Behind the Micro-Chip
- Micro-Chip Biometrics Information
- Four fingerprint which are kept on file. Since the file does not have a full image of the member’s fingerprints, they can not be reconstructed.
- Two iris templates which are digital pictures of the member’s eye. The process is non-invasive iris imaging. Iris recognition is one of the most reliable biometric technologies, capturing both iris images simultaneously. Iris imaging is unique to each individual, so it is impossible to fake.
- Photograph for facial recognition.
- Data is encrypted. All of the data collected by Clear is encrypted with some of the information have dual encryption processes. Social Security numbers, which are collected as part of the TSA security clearance process, are kept in a separate storage facility, away from all other information which is collected by Clear for customer service purposes.
- The card is interoperable with other Registered Travel Programs. At this time there are only two programs sanctioned by the TSA, along with Clear there are several other Registered Travel Programs such as Flo, RtGo operated by Unisys, and Preferred Traveler operated by Vigilant Solutions. All programs will be interoperable with each other. Membership with Clear will allow you access to any Registered Travel Program.
Registered Travel Program is a voluntary program in which frequent travelers can submit biographic and biometric information to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the purposes of a security threat assessment (STA) so that the frequent traveler can expedite passage through security.
In the Works:
Together through its partners at General Electric (GE) Clear expects to unveil shoe-scanning technology which is in an approval process with the TSA. What does this mean for its members once it is approved? Members will be able to keep their shoes on during security screening. (Clear, 2009)
Also with its partners at GE, Clear hopes to unveil a second generation kiosk featuring state-of-the-art technology which is being tested by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).