Secret airport security tests are no secret at Newark airport

An airport security test that was kept secret until recently has some travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport wondering if security has crossed over the line of privacy again.For four years,

News 12 Staff

Dec 3, 2006, 1:33 AM

Updated 6,521 days ago

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An airport security test that was kept secret until recently has some travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport wondering if security has crossed over the line of privacy again.For four years, federal agents have been gathering passengers travel habits for an automated targeting system. They have collected things like one-way tickets, method of payment, seating preferences and even the kinds of meals ordered. Federal agents then used that information to come up with a computer-generated score, rating each passenger's flight risk. The new system is being called ATS. The ATS system is separate from the terrorist watch list. The Department of Homeland Security says ATS is a vital tool to help spot potentially dangerous travelers, people whose names may not show up on the watch list.Some travelers are angered that these tests were going on without their knowledge. However, under federal law travelers are not allowed to find out if they've been screened or see records of those screenings.