TSA wants your DNA

I'll bet you thought the TSA's "enhanced" patdown procedures could not possibly get more invasive. Think again. Beginning this summer TSA will start collecting travelers' DNA.

According to the report the Department of Homeland Security plans to deploy portable DNA scanners at U.S. points of entry. They're about the size of a desktop printer and can produce lab-quality DNA screenings in about an hour. So in addition to the full-body scanners and enhanced patdowns we'll have to stand obediently still while a TSA rent-a-cop swabs the inside of our mouth.

Or, no plane flight for you!

Why does the Obama Administration need our DNA? I don't know. But they sure seem determined to build themselves one heck of a database with all this info they're capturing. Photo ID. Date of birth. Gender. X-rays. DNA. All that's missing is a urine sample.

Customs and Border Protection, another tentacle of the Department of Homeland Security, has the authority to download the contents of your laptop and mobile phone. And into the database it goes!

Has anybody seen the Fourth Amendment recently? I think it's gone missing again. And, why do I have the feeling that if it was George Bush doing this it'd be a much bigger deal?

UPDATE 01 Mar 2011 10:05:
There is apparently a move afoot at TSA to quash this story.

Posted at 14:58 by Chris Wysocki   [/terrorism]   Comments | Perm Link |
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