In December 2019, the Port of Seattle Commission adopted seven guiding principles—including that biometric use be justified, voluntary, private, equitable, transparent, lawful, and ethical—to govern how facial recognition and other biometric technologies are used with passengers at Sea-Tac Airport and cruise facilities. The motion also established a working group, drawn from multiple port departments and community stakeholders, to develop a comprehensive biometric policy by mid-2020. Public-facing biometric technology may only be implemented once that formal policy is in place and demonstrated to align with the adopted principles.Open full document
Notes
Motion 2019-13, adopted by the Port of Seattle Commission on December 10, 2019, establishes seven guiding principles for public-facing biometric technology use at maritime and aviation facilities, including requirements that such use be justified, voluntary, private, equitable, transparent, lawful, and ethical. The motion also creates a Biometric Working Group to develop comprehensive policy recommendations, with a deadline of the first quarter of 2020, and sets conditions for implementation of public-facing biometric technology upon adoption of a full policy by the end of the second quarter of 2020.