TSA Seeking Birthdates of Air Travelers

Airline passengers soon will be asked to provide their full names and birthdates when they buy tickets, information the government said Wednesday it needed for a new computerized screening system.

The Bush administration is moving ahead with plans to launch the system, called Secure Flight, even though concerns about privacy raised in a congressional investigation have not been fully addressed. A limited rollout of the program is set for later this year.

As part of the Transportation Security Administration’s effort to begin Secure Flight, the agency will, within weeks, require airlines to solicit passengers’ full names and birthdates.

Passengers do not have to provide the data, but if they don’t there’s a better chance they will undergo more stringent screening at the airport, a TSA official said. Having passengers’ full names and birthdates will make it less likely that they will be confused with people who are known or suspected terrorists, the TSA official said.