Computer Assisted Passenger PreScreening System II
Encyclopedia
The Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II) was a program of the United States Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) instituted to increase security at airports by assessing the risk level of passengers before they're allowed to board. CAPPS II searched through information stored in government
and commercial database
s and assigned a color-coded level of risk to each passenger. Amid controversy from such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), the Electronic Privacy Information Center
(EPIC), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF), the program was terminated by President Bush
in August 2004. The program was then replaced by a similar program called Secure Flight
in early 2005 generating the same concerns over privacy and civil liberties. However, due to public concerns, Secure Flight is not due to become fully operational until 2010. CAPPS II grounded innocent Americans
due to false positives. One notable example is the grounding of Senator Ted Kennedy
in 2004 .
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
(DHS) instituted to increase security at airports by assessing the risk level of passengers before they're allowed to board. CAPPS II searched through information stored in government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and commercial database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s and assigned a color-coded level of risk to each passenger. Amid controversy from such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(ACLU), the Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research group in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values in the information age...
(EPIC), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
(EFF), the program was terminated by President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in August 2004. The program was then replaced by a similar program called Secure Flight
Secure Flight
Secure Flight is an airline passenger pre-screening program to be implemented starting in August 2009 by the Transportation Security Administration . Secure Flight will match passenger information against blacklists maintained by the federal government...
in early 2005 generating the same concerns over privacy and civil liberties. However, due to public concerns, Secure Flight is not due to become fully operational until 2010. CAPPS II grounded innocent Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to false positives. One notable example is the grounding of Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
in 2004 .