Can You Refuse a Face Scan at the Airport?

Jacobson agrees, adding that “[older adults] will be subject to less physical screening as they embrace facial recognition as part of the screening process,” he says. “This is where we’re moving in the future.”

Those concerned about biometric airport scans may worry about the safety and privacy of their biometric data. “Once your face becomes an identifier in a government database, it’s effectively permanent. You can’t change it like a password if it’s breached or misused,” says Zach Varnell, a cybersecurity expert and cofounder of Banish Big Brother. “Opting out, for me, is a small way to signal that travelers should have a real choice in whether their biometric data becomes part of that ecosystem.”

Other worries are that an accepted convenience could more easily morph into a mandate or surveillance, and that false negatives or positives lead to extra screening and other problems — exactly what scans are meant to avoid. It’s worth noting that facial recognition systems are more likely to misidentify people of color, women, children and older people.

Steps to opt out of facial recognition at airports

Varnell has opted out of domestic airport face scans, without incident, since their inception.

His method: Stay to the side of the camera, and when the agent asks you to step in front of it, say, “I’d like to opt out of the facial recognition.”

On his last flight, the agent accepted Varnell’s license and performed a manual check before waving him through. “There was no delay, no attitude from the agent and no escalation,” he says. “I was able to board my plane on time without any issues.”

How to prepare for biometric screening when you travel

If you participate in an airport face scan, whether by choice or because you’re traveling internationally, you can do a few things to minimize delays and complications, Carter says. “[The travel experience] is vastly different than what it used to be. It’s very much a digital travel experience now,” she says.

Being prepared can help those uncomfortable with that transition, she says.

• Have your ID out and ready.
• Ensure your ID image looks like you. If there has been a drastic change to your appearance, perhaps from weight changes or surgery, consider renewing. If you’re not wearing glasses in your identification photo, remove them.
• Don’t obscure your face. Remove hats, scarves and masks. If you wear a head or face covering for religious reasons, let the agent know. You may receive a private screening.
• Have your boarding pass accessible. The screening is supposed to bypass this, but that’s not always the case. “Sometimes they do still ask for it … even with the face scan, because their systems may be down or they may be slow,” Carter says. Be prepared. A digital or physical pass works.