Racial profiling at US airports? Here's an app for that

Smartphone app allows travelers to report racial profiling
Travelers who suspect they have been victims of racial profiling by security screeners at US airports can now lodge a complaint in minutes, thanks to a smartphone application released on Monday. The Sikh Coalition, supported by other civil rights groups, said its FlyRights app can be used by anyone who feels their rights were violated at the security barrier.

Travelers who suspect they have been victims of racial profiling by security screeners at US airports can now lodge a complaint in minutes, thanks to a smartphone application released on Monday.

The Sikh Coalition, supported by other civil rights groups, said its FlyRights app can be used by anyone who feels their rights were violated at the security barrier.

"For too long, the (TSA) has kept a long leash on its screeners, telling them not to profile, but taking no effective measures to stop it," said its director of programs Amardeep Singh.

"Until that happens, we call on the public to hold the TSA accountable by downloading the FlyRights app and filing reports when appropriate," he said in a statement.

According to data, only 11 official complaints of improper TSA screening were filed in the first half of 2011 through a bureaucratic procedure most travelers don't know about.

The Sikh Coalition, which speaks for the 500,000-strong Sikh American community, said it expects that figure to grow "exponentially" once FlyRights -- a free download for and products -- is widely distributed.

(c) 2012 AFP

Citation: Racial profiling at US airports? Here's an app for that (2012, April 30) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2012-04-racial-profiling-airports-app.html
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