TSA Pursues $5.5B Privatized Airport Security Overhaul with Biometric and AI Surveillance Expansion

TSA Pursues $5.5B Privatized Airport Security Overhaul with Biometric and AI Surveillance Expansion

Ken Macon

The Transportation Security Administration is advancing plans that could place private companies at the center of airport security operations, raising fresh concerns about the privacy implications of deeply integrated biometric and digital ID systems.

Through a newly issued Request for Information (RFI), the agency is soliciting proposals from vendors capable of delivering screening solutions that combine staffing with AI-driven threat detection and biometric identity tools.

These technologies carry wide implications for how personal data is collected, stored, and used in public spaces.

This expansion effort is part of TSA’s Screening Partnership Program. What was once a behind-the-scenes option for a relatively small number of airports is now being positioned as a possible template for the future of airport screening across the country, with a focus on highly automated, surveillance-heavy systems.

According to the RFI, TSA is seeking private firms that can build and manage all aspects of the screening environment, from personnel to high-tech equipment, in a unified offering.

The agency is requesting “fully integrated, turnkey biometrics and digital ID screening solutions,” a shift that points to increased data collection and the normalization of identity verification practices that rely on facial recognition, mobile phone data, and centralized digital credentials.

This new model would be supported by a 10-year, $5.5 billion indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract expected to replace current five-year SPP contracts set to expire in 2026.

The agency says the larger contract ceiling reflects expectations of broader adoption, but privacy advocates are concerned that this could lead to a rapid expansion of biometric surveillance infrastructure across airports with limited public debate or regulatory safeguards.

The RFI outlines TSA’s interest in a wide array of technologies, including facial and fingerprint biometrics, AI-powered scanners, and data integration tools designed to link screening devices and identity systems into cohesive platforms.

The TSA wants these systems to be compatible with PreCheck, digital IDs, and mobile applications. These tools are increasingly built on tracking and profiling capabilities.

In the agency’s view, these systems should minimize the need for human screeners while boosting efficiency. However, doing so involves automating judgment processes and increasing reliance on opaque algorithms, which have raised concerns about bias, misuse, and data protection. As TSA noted, these systems should “reduce the need for human intervention, allow for rapid screening, and improve the ability to detect prohibited items or anomalous behavior.”