OpEdNews - Diary: Judging Hostile Intent

We are considering the use of elaborate lie detectors at airports in an attempt to better screen terrorists from ordinary people. At it's core, this is a fear based technology. It all depends on the subject being tested having a fear of being caught. There are a few problems with this technology... More below the fold.

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The leading edge system is Cogito, currently under testing in Isreal. It's an advanced biometric screening device that utilizes a series of targeted questions and technology to measure the subjects physical responses. http://online.wsj.com/public/article/sb115551793796934752-4c3oqblq52ufnr_74rhtrajm00s_20070814.html?mod=blogs

Not everyone is going to fully understand how a system like this works, nor will they all trust it. If either of these elements are in place, at the time of testing, fear is likely to manifest itself, thus generating false positives.

For those tagged as potential terrorists, how will this information be used? Will they be added to search and no-fly lists? A big part of the success these systems need to have lies in these answers. Having some false positives is an annoyance, given solid checks on how the information obtained from the test is used. It could also be a serious infringement on peoples rights if these checks are not in place.

With all the secrecy surrounding security laws, how are we to know?

Have the creators of this device considered how drugs could be used to circumvent the test? What about mental traning exercises? The questions are a secret now, but they won't be once a fair number of people have been tested.

Those people, willing to die for their cause are not likely to hold back on these and other means of keeping their intent ambigious. Should we start drug testing as well?

The article linked above makes it clear that cultural references are a part of the technology. How can these machines differentiate annoyance or insult from hostile intent? Will the questions be selected based on another persons assessment of the subjects race or culture? Isn't this simply a more indirect method of profiling people instead of a neutral technology.

To be clear, I'm not opposed to exploring these kinds of technologies with the goal of increased safety. The many unanswered questions combined with a high level of secrecy are a source of worry however. As citizens, we all should continue to apply pressure in the areas of transparency and accountability if we are to achieve longer term confidence in our security systems.