EPIC Seeks Records on "Quiet Skies," TSA Airport Surveillance Program
EPIC submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Transportation Security Authority after renews reports that the agency secretly surveills airport travelers. The program, known as "Quiet Skies," uses teams of federal marshals to track and observe unsuspecting travelers while they are in the airport and on flights. A Government Accountability Office report on a similar program that used behavioral analysis found the program to be ineffective. The GAO report stated that the "Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques" program also raised significant concerns over racial and ethnic profiling. EPIC has urged TSA to undertake a comprehensive audit of the civil rights impact of airport screening policies on racial and religious minorities.