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TSA wouldn't let me decline the photo, which is your right
I always decline having my photo taken by the TSA because it isn't mandatory and they never tell you that. So I try to avoid face scanning as a principle.
I hand my ID to the agent and say "I'm gonna decline the photo" and he just goes ahead and puts it in the machine and says "Sorry, you have to say that before you hand me the ID. Now you don't have the option".
And he refused to let me decline or reset the machine or anything. He just kept repeating "It's on you to tell me before." Which I did. He just didn't listen before he just did what he was gonna do anyway.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for reminding me that drivers licenses and passports exist! /s The point remains that if they didn't stand to benefit from it, they wouldn't be doing it and they wouldn't be so shady about your ability to opt out. You shouldn't be giving the government anything you don't have to ever. They are counting on you to just take the "it's all hopeless anyway" attitude.
The rule is that you have to opt out prior to surrendering your IP to the officer. Once you surrender your ID you've opted into their process. It's listed on their website and the signs at security.
Having to opt out of the photo before handing the id over is not the rule anymore. You can opt out of the photo at any point before or during the process.
I am literally at the airport and scanned the QR code and the website definitely says you must opt out prior to the start of the process (handing your ID to the TSA officer).
How are you going to opt out during the process, they immediately take your photo after you hand them the ID. At what point after handing them the ID and your picture is taken do you expect to opt out and not have your picture taken? Just tell them before handing your ID over and it's 0 issue. The agents don't care one way or the other. I swear half these comments have never gone through airport security and are just larping
I work for TSA. You can opt out of the photo at any point before or during the process. If you wait until after the photo is successfully taken to try to opt out, that would be after the process.
Have him or her clarify the requirements for the agent (as well as the OP, if needed). If the supervisors aren't alerted to the inadequacies of their people's knowledge or the inconsistent application of the rules, nothing gets better.
Many people view this effort as being too much of a time suck or ineffective, but if the traveler doesn't help close that feedback loop then they're just perpetuating the problem.
There’s probably something on the boarding pass or whatever links to the airline system that they’re a minor. You have to add your DOB when you book the flight
The technically correct version of the idiom is batting a thousand, because batting avgs are scaled with 1000 being 100%, but frankly I find great joy in the (true) statement that TSA as a safety measure isn't even hitting a 10% success rate
I actually had the opposite happen one time and it kind of scared me.
I was maybe 25 or 27. I got to TSA and realized my driver's license was sitting on my night stand at home. The only ID I had was my college ID from a state university which had expired like 5 years before. I offered it to the agent, feeling stupid but desperate, knowing there's no way it would work.
The guy looked at it and said "meh, it's government issued and it has your picture" and let me through.
I was relieved that I wasn't screwed, but pretty angry that security was so lax.
Because, while the id was expired by 5 years, it had been issued 4 years before that.
The photo on it was a faded picture of a kid 9 years younger than who they were looking at. I had easily gained 80lbs in that time. There is no way they could tell that I was the same person in the photo.
Oh I once lost my license at a bar while at a conference in grad school with about 15 other people and had class about 2 days later. I thought I was fucked.
Somehow I called ahead to TSA, explaining the situation. They explained that I would need to go through extra security and it would take longer. Ok no problem.
I had my photo student ID from school. A checkbook with my address in the state we were going to. My conference ID badge and all my friends in line with the same ones. My credit card with my name on it.
Somehow the guy figured that was enough and a 25 year old was pretty low risk and my hungover ass wasn’t a threat and they let me through.
Moral of the story-if you go out in a different city and need to fly home bring backup ID
I fly using my passport card because I can’t be bothered to go get a ReadID. I can’t tell you how many TSA agents have given me shit for it. They live to be annoying.
I don't have a RealID. I do have a federally compliant ID (a PIV card issues by DHS). I use that when I fly. I've heard bad things about people unable to use it without getting a supervisor involved so every time I've flown I've given myself extra time to get through TSA.
I've flown with it six times through 4 different airports (Sacramento, San Diego, Phoenix, and St. Louis) and have had 0 issues. They'll sometimes ask for my driver's license after I hand it to them (they can't scan the PIV), and I warn them its not a RealID and they day "that's fine, I just want to scan something."
Interesting that they're giving you grief with a passport card.
I did go to the trouble of getting a RealID the last time I had to renew my driver's license. I recently moved and went on to the State website to update my address for my driver's license. Which I was able to do with no issue. I tried to select the mail me a new license option which I knew I would have to pay a fee for but I really didn't want to have a driver's license with an incorrect address until 2032. They said they can't replace my ID and send me a new one unless I come in to the DMV and bring all the paperwork to reverify the real ID stuff. I already have an ID that now has an incorrect address on it that counts as a real ID but they won't send me one with the updated address without me reverifying like that makes no sense.
It does make me miss being a government contractor though because I had a PIV card that I could use at the airport back before I got the real id, LOL
My last ID expired last year. I like that it expires in multiples of 5, so I was going to get the RealID when it expired. But then I was between housing for the month before and the month after it expired (and stressed about trying to find housing and move stuff into storage when I couldn't, prior to that) making it not easy to prove residence. So I just did a standard renewal, and use my PIV.
yep and then they get so pissed like you should already know. most people fly so rarely it's not like they know what they're doing, but even if you fly all the time it's different between every airport and even different between different agents at the same airport. One agent will say no you don't need to take your shoes off and then 10 feet down the line they're like are you stupid you need to take your shoes off
Literally the worst part of flying is TSA. I get they’re underpaid, but I don’t deserve to be yelled at like a fucking child because I don’t have their complicated ass protocol memorized
I hate that too. Like I’m not from the city or even country I’m flying out of, how the fuck am I supposed to know. There’s also signs that contradict TSA so it’s confusing as hell. In my country it’s all pretty straight forward.
for real 🙄 the last time i flew from dtw the tsa agents at the line were telling us we had to take off belts, shoes, jackets.one was saying to put everything in one bin and another said to separate things. and then the agents after the scan were complaining that everyone was taking their shit off. like we were literally told by your coworker to do so and if we didn't then who knows what another one would have done 🙄 either there's just no consistency so they do it for fun
Or had consistency with the signage and the screaming message. Last time I flew, we passed at least 10 signs saying leave your laptop in your bag, including an enormous one just before the bag scanner. Well. Right after that was some TSA agent screaming at every single person that they needed to take their laptop out and put it in a tray. It was a lot of screaming for 6 in the morning.
Same thing happened when my son and I flew out of STL earlier this year. The first guy in the line told us to remove everything. Lady at the bins said everything goes in separate. Dude at the end said he didn't know why we all took off our belts, shoes, and watches because it was clogging up the line🙄 like, y'all need to have a meeting when you clock in or something so you can get your story straight.
This is my one complaint about TSA. I'll put up with all the ridiculous Security Theater they throw at me if they would just be consistent about it at all airports....
Checkpoints refitted within the last five or so years tend to have CT bag scanners, which create a 3D scan of your bag. That lets the TSOs slice the picture any which way and get a better idea of what’s in there compared to the 2D scan the older scanners were making. That’s why you can leave everything in your bag nowadays.
TSA is a perfect example of what happens when you under pay people in a shit job.
This sounds bad but harsh reality is that it is a shit job, people complain at you all the time, the pay is bad and you will find most people with higher intengences can and do find something better and at a if they want to work in TSA they are able to move up out of that front line roll.
I agree, but also kind of feel like if retail workers and food service workers are expected to remain polite, calm, and courteous to members of the public, then TSA needs to be held to a significantly higher standard. The level of professionalism expected of a TSA agent should be several orders of magnitude more than what one expects of a Wal-Mart cashier. People in retail and food service deal with worse, and for far less pay and often zero benefits.
One problem is that individual TSA agents need to be monitored a lot more closely and fired easily if their behavior is not professional enough.
I've worked customer service. I've had people complain to me for an hour straight about how much time they don't have. My point is that they don't want to miss their flight in an airport. Sure, they can email but are you gonna spend time on your vacation to do that? Are you gonna remember by the time you get back?
Oh I can explain that one. The reason they make you take out your laptops sometimes is because not having to do that is a “perk” of buying TSA Precheck. So when they’re less busy they will keep those inconveniences in place to encourage more people to buy Precheck next time. But if it starts getting too busy then they will remove that to keep the line moving faster because it was never necessary to do in the first place. The scanners for Precheck are the exact same as regular.
Actually having large screens with directions, rather than very small signs right at the point of entry, or just relying on one person annoyedly shouting would do a world of good. Like the loading instructions for a theme park ride.
That’s the really annoying part. They’re inconsistent and then they get mad at YOU for not knowing whatever rules they are or aren’t following like my guy I don’t work here.
If the scanners for your line say Smith, you don't have to take your shoes off/ electronics out. But it'd be cool if they had a sign where you drop off your bags.
It's honestly so frustrating. I travelled for work recently and 4 of us flew back to our home city on the same day. We all received the same piece of art that had glass on it during the conference. Everyone had it in their carry on but I was the only one stopped and searched. I went through security directly behind a coworker who had the exact same item! I also had a portable monitor that they were scanning with a wand and questioning me about but they also refused to just unfold/ open it 🙄
I swear it is a 50/50 every time I am in the Atlanta airport whether or not they want me to do the full 9 yards. No shoes, belts, watches, jewelry, electronics in their own box, all that.
And then other times it is just... walk through the scanner, don't talk to them, get your bag, and go.
I made the off-hand comment that "it's different everywhere" and then both agents dogpiled on and said "no it isn't", I just "didn't read" and that "reading is essential".
This happened to me with the laptops thing. Flew out of one airport, didn't have to remove it from bag. At the airport to fly back, snarky TSA agent saying "Laptops out of bags folks, same as it's always been." Might have been the other way, but in either case I got different instructions on the out and back legs of the same trip.
I asked about it one time, and they said it has to do with the machine that is evaluating everyone’s stuff. If it’s the square machine, laptops out. If it’s more of a cylinder, you can leave them in. He also told me that you can leave the belt on, they just prefer you take it off.
Though, you’d think they’d all know that instead of being snarky, and preference sometimes seems to mean requirement.
I stopped taking my belt off, though. Even if they’re telling me I need to. I haven’t had it flag anywhere yet.
Yeah, it can even be different for different TSA lines at the same airport. Drives me crazy cuz I always look for signs and it's never written.
Anyway the last time my mom and I flew, she forgot she had a bottle of pepper spray in her jacket pocket and made it through TSA without being flagged. TSA is a joke.
There is supposed to signage at the CAT-2 scanner but it's not that clear that you must advise the officer before you hand them the ID if the officer is doing the scan.
No airport really lets you insert the ID yourself anymore. The agent does it for you. So you should be able to tell them you opt out of the photo anytime before they insert it into the machine
Ok but they have the upper hand because you aren't getting on the plane if they don't let you.
I think refusing the photo is silly anyway. Does anyone really think that major US airports are not already using facial recognition tech in all public spaces? If you have a passport or real ID they have what they need already.
Last time I rejected it they pulled me to the side because apparently there was an "issue" with my passport, but after getting a manager who fucked around for like 10 minutes and tried to ask for the photo again they let me go.
They use AI to match your picture to your ID. There’s zero reason for it when the agent is literally right there looking at you, but it allows them to collect more facial recognition data and train the algorithm on thousands of real faces every day going through TSA.
It literally just matches your picture on your ID to your face. It’s immediately deleted and is not used for anything else. There’s no reason to decline it but also imo it’s pointless because they can just look at your ID and see that it looks like you.
That happened to me in December, I was under the assumption I would say it when I got to them, not before I started my walk to them. Only difference is the TSA agent clarified it to me and didn't take my picture. He just told me next time to say it before walking up to them
Tbh I love that you decline it out of principle. I don’t have actual reasons for not doing these things some times other than I don’t want to and if I don’t have to I shouldn’t. Lol
I’ve never heard of “tell me before” and you are allowed to decline. Talk to a supervisor maybe but I mean….. it’s not the biggest of deals just go on about your day.
It's not about the actual photo it's about getting people to be compliant without refusal.
You refuse the photo even tho they don't need it. They then delay you moving forward for half an hour or am hour so you get frustrated and so do the people behind you, so they start in on the stink eye, next time you just comply then later in the future you just accept whatever b.s. they throw at you that limit your rights and freedoms because others are being "delayed".
And those of you who don't see it are already molded into their perfect model citizen that just comply instead of thinking in why you need to or should comply.
That TSA agent has literally no stake in that game. It is zero skin off his ass. He isn’t being “shady” about it and doesn’t care ultimately what’s collected for who above him, especially if it’s a thing that people are allowed to refuse on occasion.
Literally just a dude in a bad mood lol he’s not paid enough to be in on the conspiracy against your privacy. He doesn’t give that much of a shit. But he may get bored and pissy with people sometimes…
Yeah. Bro is a contractor making like $20 an hour with no benefits to sit at a little podium and scan passports. He’s only vaguely annoyed about the picture thing because it breaks his routine
That is infuriating, I suppose. But do know that the mean you step out of your car at the airport, you're face is on camera. A lot. I mean A TON. Some airports are using AI/ML and tracking you from opening the car door to the moment you step onto an airplane. And unlike the TSA process, where the photo allegedly isn't retained, that's 7 years baby.
I just personally don't understand being constantly surveilled in an airport, handing over ID with a photo on it, and then saying "oh no, I don't want this computer to have my face".
I haven't flown in 11 years. Can someone please explain what this is about? Do they automatically take your photo after you hand them your ID? And what is the purpose of them taking that photo? And is it for both domestic and international flights?
Former TSO here: the machine is set up so it takes your picture first and then your ID. All it does is compare your face to your photo ID, instead of the officer doing it, (they don't trust them and it's a liability thing) just like unlocking your phone. If you do not wish to have the machine do the facial recognition you gotta tell the officer first, the moment your id goes into the machine the process needs to be completed.
I haven’t had that one but I did have one petty loser just keep me at his stand for an extra beat for no reason just because I opted out of the pic. I have precheck, the place is blanketed in cameras as it is and they have all my personal info from buying the ticket. They don’t need another pic of me.
It’s not the tsa using the information it’s ice. Don’t know if the trans director is trying to force people so they have more info. I know it saves a ton of time since I don’t have to pull out anything anymore. They just take my picture and I walk on to the scanner
The TSA is for people that want to be cops for all the wrong reasons but couldn't cut it, which is funny cause most cops are wannabe soldiers that couldn't cut it. Point being, it's of no surprise that someone that far down the totem pole felt the need to be a power tripping prick.
We always decline and they’ve been rude to my husband about this (handing the id then saying it) but they were still able to override and go back. Now we are just very vigilant about saying it before we present our id so they don’t give us shit
I don't even let my phone use face id to unlock, so yes I opt out too. Had this happen once and the TSA guy said the same, you need to tell me before. I apologized. TSA guy reset reset the machine and started over. I just say now, I'm opting out of photo then hand them my ID. My fave part is when you get one that wants to lecture you about it and why it's no big deal. I smile, nod, and thank them as I leave.
You do realize you’re in an airport. There are cameras everywhere, your face is getting scanned if you know it or don’t. You have a passport, a drivers license, the gov has your face and everything they need. You’re just making your life and others more difficult for no reason.
I can't understand this hard on for surveilance so many people seem to have. This many people want to give as much data over as possible? An updated weigh-in, retinal and palm scan next, 'what's the big deal They have it all anyway'. Gross you guys. Get a spine.
so with cameras everywhere and you're getting scanned if you know it or don't, why the need to be scanned again? Your logic doesn't match with what OP is trying to explain about the frustration. It's not about whether you have been scanned already. It's more about the fact that your right to say no is taken away -a simple legal freedom. People like you will continue to piss away freedoms and justify it all. Once all of your choices over yourself are gone, what's left?
The second that they put your ID into the machine, it has already activated the camera. If you don't say it as soon as humanly possible then it has already begun. If you wait as long as it takes to insert a card into the machine to state that you don't want the photo, which I understand is a very finite amount of time, you're too late.
Regardless, your face was recognized by the higher number of cameras above your head than there are in a bank, and you also gave the government permission to have your photo when you let them take your picture for your driver's license, passport etc
The airport is already using facial recognition on the hundreds, if not thousands, of cameras at the airport. Have one extra photo taken of you at the checkpoint makes zero difference.
You have the option to opt out and the process is faster when you do. No need to stop, look at the camera, they press the button, the machine does it's thing, they look at the picture and then tell you you're ok. 5-10 seconds times everyone being processed in every line adds up. If 10 people adds a minute then 300 people adds 30 minutes. The line would move faster if everyone just said "I opt out".
Why do they even do it if it’s not mandatory. I recently flew out of EWR and they only had it for two lines going through security. What’s even the point?
I haven't flown in over 35 years. Can someone explain to me like I'm 5 what this opt out of picture thing is? What happens when you opt out? They take a picture of you when you hand them your ID? Why? They have your ID right there in their hand, so this makes no sense to me.
They say the picture taken at security will prove that you're the person in your ID through their "facial comparison technology."
When you go up to the agent in the security line when they have these cameras, they now ask for your ID while telling you to look in their camera for that picture. You can say you don't want your picture taken and the agent has to actually manually just look at you and then your ID.
I've opted out multiple times and it takes them all of 2-3 seconds to....do the same exact thing they used to before this technology and contrary to the people saying it holds up the line, I'm usually through faster than the time it takes them to take pictures for other people. I've never been pulled aside for questioning or being patted down or anything else for opting out.
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u/hedge36 Aug 13 '26
And this is why they have supervisors. You should ask for one.