Fliers to be scrutinized even further

The Transportation Security Administration will begin testing of a new screening system that checks each passenger's identity much more thoroughly than before, according to the Washington Post.

The new system will look up information on passengers using a database from private companies, make sure the passengers are who they say they are, and give a numerical score to each individual depending on what is found in their records. The system will then compare each passenger's information to government intelligence, and the combined scores will be used to assign a color to each passenger. The passengers will not be able to learn of their scores nor color code.

The color system, using green, yellow and red, sets three levels of passenger screening. Green will allow the passenger to simply pass the gate. Yellow will alert the passenger to security and may lead to additional screening and/or arrests. Red will prohibit the passenger from boarding and will lead to detainment. According to the Washington Post, this screening system could lead to invasion of privacy, and companies may have trouble gathering information from customers.

However, David A. Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, told the Washington Post he believes new system would help capture criminals in addition to terrorists. "It's a law enforcement tool. The wider the net you cast, the more people you bring in."

The Transportation Security Administration homepage (http://www.tsa.dot.gov/public/index.jsp) provides no further information.