Topic: Biometric Scanner

Amazon is promoting "Amazon One," a biometric service that allows users to pay and identify themselves by scanning their palms. Simultaneously, IDEMIA, the company behind TSA PreCheck, is working with several U.S. states to launch mobile IDs that could integrate with health passes. The hosts warn that these technologies are feeding into a centralized "Consumer Data Platform" that will eventually determine social credit scores.

A traveler returning to the United States via Atlanta expresses skepticism regarding the speed and efficacy of Global Entry biometric kiosks. The system scanned four fingerprints in under one second, significantly faster than the consumer-grade Touch ID on an iPhone 6. The discussion posits that the system likely performs a simple hash match against a pre-loaded passport profile rather than a comprehensive criminal database search.

A company called Unique Solutions is installing "My Best Fit" kiosks in shopping malls, which use 3D body imaging to help consumers find clothing sizes. The hosts warn that this technology is conditioning the public to accept TSA-style body scanners while building a massive biometric database. They note that the company's privacy policy allows for data licensing to marketers and potentially the Department of Homeland Security.

Students in Australia are reportedly bypassing biometric fingerprint scanners used for school attendance by using gummy bears. By pressing a finger into a gummy bear to create a mold, students can have others "check them in." The hosts use this to highlight the flaws in biometric security and the move toward automated classrooms.

One host describes a recent experience with a TSA "naked" body scanner. The account details the process of standing on yellow footprints with hands raised, characterizing the technology as a form of "subtle humiliation" for the American public.