The federal government today proposed a new rule that would require commercial airlines and cruise lines to collect digital fingerprints of all non-visa holding foreigners visiting the US before they depart the country.  The effort is part of a security initiative called US-Visit devised and overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“The 9/11 Commission called for biometric entry and exit records, because biometrics confirm that travelers are who they say they are and the purpose of their travel is as they claim it to be,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “We’ve built an effective entry system, and combined with the proposed exit system, we’ll have made a quantum leap in America’s border security. Air and sea carriers would actively participate in the proposed exit system, and I look forward to an ongoing dialogue on solutions to meet this key 9/11 Commission recommendation.”

The majority of non-U.S. citizens are already required to submit digital fingerprints and a digital photograph for admission into the country.  The US-VISIT Exit proposal would require non-U.S. citizens who provide biometric identifiers for admission to also provide digital fingerprints when departing the country from any air or sea ports of departure to ensure the same person who entered the US left the country.

The proposed rule - set for a 60 day public comment period - requires commercial air carriers and cruise line owners and operators to collect and transmit international visitors’ biometric information to DHS within 24 hours of leaving the United States. 

The program is expected to cost airlines $2.3 billion over 10 years, an exorbitant amount according to some airlines.  At a time when airlines are struggling to remain afloat amid rising fuel costs, the proposal could bolster more mergers in the industry as companies band together to survive the difficult environment.  As competition dwindles, passengers could see even greater rate increases as airlines attempt to turn a profit.

Chertoff has accused airlines of stonewalling the project, saying that if it's not in place by the end of year, "it will only be because the airline industry killed it."

According to The Center for American Progress, one airline industry representative called the demand "ludicrous," adding, "We can't afford anything in the billions to support a program that should be a government program."

Some privacy advocates worry that the proposed new rule violates an individual's right to privacy.  But Chertoff dismissed these concerns in the past, arguing that since fingerprints are left on glasses and silverware, they could hardly be labeled personal data. 

While the concept of keeping track of foreign visitors seems appropriate, albeit a bit Orwellian, in the post-9/11 world, the burden of responsibility for securing the safety of Americans and American passengers should not fall solely on the airline industry.  If DHS wants to implement a new program, it should be willing to fund it or reimburse those who execute it on their behalf.  Otherwise, this "Republican" administration is guilty of the type of economically-damaging, government-mandated regulations it has accused the Democrats of attempting to levy on businesses for the past seven years.