TSA collecting info on regular travelers through ‘Quiet Skies’ program: Report – By Kelly Cohen (washingtonexaminer.com) / July 29 2018
Thousands of Americans have been added to the “Quiet Skies” watch list unknowingly, where they can stay for up to 90 days or three encounters. They are never notified they’re on the list.
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The Transportation Security Administration has been conducting surveillance on thousands of unknowningly American fliers through a program dubbed “Quiet Skies.”
According to the Boston Globe, the program specifically targets travelers who “are not under investigation by any agency and are not in the Terrorist Screening Data Base.” All American citizens who enter the U.S. are automatically screened for inclusion, the report says.
A TSA bulletin from March says the goal of the program is to deter potential terrorist attacks from persons “unknown or partially known terrorists.”
Thousands of Americans have been added to the “Quiet Skies” watch list unknowingly, where they can stay for up to 90 days or three encounters. They are never notified they’re on the list.
Undercover air marshals reportedly document passengers’ behavior, which includes watching if they reverse or change directions while in transit through the airport, whether they change clothes at the airport or on the plane, and how closely they stand to the boarding areas.
They also look for “behavioral indicators” like rapid eye blinking, exaggerate emotions, excessive perspiration, or strong body odor.
When someone on the “Quiet Skies” list is selected for surveillance, a team of air marshals is placed on the person’s next flight. The team receives a file containing a photo and basic information — such as date and place of birth — about the target, the Globe reported.
According to the report, air marshals are concerned that the surveillance might be illegal, as well as a waste of time.
“What we are doing [in Quiet Skies] is troubling and raising some serious questions as to the validity and legality of what we are doing and how we are doing it,” one air marshal wrote in a text message to colleagues.
The TSA declined to comment on the “Quiet Skies” program, but addressed how the agency works in general.
“FAMs [federal air marshals] may deploy on flights in furtherance of the TSA mission to ensure the safety and security of passengers, crewmembers, and aircraft throughout the aviation sector,” spokesman James Gregory said in an e-mailed statement. “As its assessment capabilities continue to enhance, FAMS leverages multiple internal and external intelligence sources in its deployment strategy.”
