MOTION 2019-13: 
A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 
adopting guiding principles for the public-facing use of
biometric technology at Port of Seattle maritime and
aviation  facilities;  establishing  a  working  group  to
develop policy recommendations governing publicfacing
biometric  use at the  port; and establishing
deadlines for further actions. 
AMENDED AND ADOPTED 
DECEMBER 10, 2019 
INTRODUCTION 
Biometrics is the measurement and analysis of physical and behavioral characteristics that are
used to identify individuals through technology. An example of a physical characteristic includes
the unique features of an individual's face or their fingerprint. An example of a behavioral
characteristic includes an individual's voice, signature, or how they walk.
The Port of Seattle has long used various forms of biometrics at its aviation and maritime
facilities  for access control and verification of employee, contractor, vendor, and consultant
identity. However, biometric technology  particularly facial recognition  is increasingly being
deployed on the customer-facing side of airport and cruise operations, as both an identity 
validation and a customer facilitation tool to speed up check-in, boarding, and screening
processes. 
As with  any developing technology, public sector leaders have an obligation to ensure
appropriate and responsible use of not only the technology itself, but the related data that is
generated. The port commission believes proper biometric policy should balance operational
needs, business priorities, and regulatory mandates with protections for the interests and rights
of passengers, employees, and other visitors to our facilities. 
TEXT OF THE MOTION 
Port of Seattle Principles for Public-Facing Biometric Technology 
The commission hereby adopts the following principles to guide the use of public-facing
biometric technology at Port of Seattle facilities: 
(1) Justified: Biometric technology at port facilities should be used only for a clear intended
purpose that furthers a specific operational need. The port does not condone biometrics
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for "mass surveillance"  for example, use of facial recognition on large groups of people
without a lawful purpose, rather than single-use for travelers. 
(2) Voluntary: The use of biometrics to identify and validate travelers through port facilities
should be voluntary, and reasonable alternatives should be provided for those who do
not wish to participate  through a convenient "opt-in" process where possible or "opt-
out" process if "opt-in" is not possible,except in specific situations authorized by the
port or required by federal law such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) entry
and exit requirements for non-U.S. citizens. Unintended capture of data by biometric 
technology from those travelers opting out of such biometric data collection, or of any
non-travelers or other visitors at the airport, should be prevented; any unintended
capture of this data should not be stored. 
(3) Private: Data collected by biometric technology at port facilities or by port employees 
from travelers through port facilities should be stored only if needed, for no longer than
required by applicable law or regulations, and should be protected against unauthorized
access. The port  opposes this data being  sold or used for  commercial purposes 
unrelated to processing travelers at port facilities without their clear and informed
consent. Individuals should be provided a process to challenge instances where they feel
their rights have been violated. 
(4) Equitable: The port opposes discrimination or systemic bias based on religion, age,
gender, race, or other demographic identifiers. Biometric technology used at port 
facilities  or  by  port  employees  should  be  accurate  in  identifying  people  of  all
backgrounds, and systems should be in place to treat mismatching issues with proper
cultural sensitivity and discretion. 
(5) Transparent: Use of biometric technology for passenger processing at port facilities
should be communicated to visitors and travelers. Individuals should be notified about
any collection of their biometric data to facilitate travel at port facilities, and how that
data may be used, in easily understood terms.  Reports on the performance and
effectiveness of the technology should also be made public to ensure accountability. 
(6) Lawful:  Use  of  biometric technology and/or  access to associated biometric data
collected should comply with all laws, including state and federal privacy and consumer
data protection laws and laws prohibiting discrimination or illegal search against
individuals or groups. 
(7) Ethical:  The  port  and  its  partners  should  act  ethically  when  deploying  biometric
technology or handling biometric data. Ethical behavior means actions which respect
key moral principles that include privacy, honesty, fairness, equality, dignity, diversity, 
and individual rights. In particular, use of biometrics at port facilities should comply with 
Resolution No. 3747, establishing the port's Welcoming Port Policy Directive to increase
engagement with, and support for, immigrant and refugee communities. 
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These principles will apply until a more comprehensive policy is put in place, through the
working group process laid out below. 
Biometric Working Group 
Through this motion, a port working group is established to develop further recommendations
governing port policy related to use of public-facing biometric technology, which shall be
submitted to the commission by the end of the first quarter of 2020. Issues to be addressed by
this working group include the following: 
the strategic use and objectives of biometrics; 
procurement; 
transparency and accountability for biometric implementation; 
auditing of this technology to ensure compliance and accuracy, and auditing prior to
approval of expansion of technology; 
commitments or agreements with airlines, cruise operators, and other port tenants and
users; 
handling biometric data collected and stored from the technology; 
protection of personally identifying information; 
data security protocols and protection from unlawful or unauthorized access; 
alignment with the port's Welcoming Port Policy; 
state and federal policy priorities; 
outreach and public awareness strategy to prepare travelers and community members; 
and any other relevant topics that arise. 
In addition, the working group should develop a comprehensive list of known public-facing
biometric implementation being planned at port facilities over the next five years. 
The working group will include, but not be limited to, representatives from the following port
departments: Aviation Security; Aviation Operations; Airport Innovation; Maritime Security;
Maritime Operations; Commission Office; Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Information
and Communications Technology;  Information Security;  Government Relations;  Legal;  and
Police. The working group shall also  engage active participation from an advisory group
comprised of community partners, travelers, maritime and aviation industry partners, and
other impacted stakeholders. The working group shall meet at least once a month. The policy
recommendations shall be delivered to commission by the end of the first quarter of 2020. The
commission may create a special committee (an ad hoc, limited term commission committee)
to oversee these efforts and expects a policy governing the use of public-facing biometric
technology to be delivered to the commission by the end of the second quarter of 2020. 
Implementation of Public-Facing Biometric Technology at Port facilities 
Upon adoption of the port's policy by the end of the second quarter of 2020, public-facing
biometric technology may be implemented at port facilities if it demonstrates alignment with
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biometric principles and meets the port's operational requirements. Port leadership will
implement an approval process for any proposals for new or expanded use of public-facing
biometric technology to ensure alignment with these principles. Any proposal for new or
expanded use of public-facing biometric technology will be communicated in advance directly
to the port commission and through the port's external communications channels. The use of
public-facing biometric technology at port facilities is subject at all times to the port's
requirements. The port's biometric policies should be incorporated into commitments or
agreements governing the use of biometric technology at port facilities. 
Because the port does not have jurisdiction over the use of biometrics by the federal
government at our facilities, the port will communicate these principles to CBP and other
federal partners such as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast
Guard. We will not only notify them of our desired standards, but also work with these agencies
and Congress to ensure that federal programs in place at port facilities are aligned as closely as
possible with port policy regarding utilization of public-facing biometric technology. 
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION 
Due to technological advances, perceived customer benefits, and federal requirements, there
will be a significant increase in public-facing facial recognition technology deployment by public
and private sector users over the next few years, including in airport and seaport settings that
will impact travelers and other visitors to our facilities. In advance of this expansion, the port
commission believes that it has an obligation to institute proper policy frameworks and clear
guidelines to reduce potential misuse and abuse, while improving public understanding of the
benefits and risks. Specifically, the port must ensure individual privacy, civil liberties, and
equity, and that biometric technology and use of the associated data is aligned with state and
federal laws intended to protect those rights. 
Biometrics are used in various forms at the port's aviation and maritime facilities: 
Across the port, port-issued identification cards currently utilize fingerprint biometrics
to access secure or restricted areas or to permit authorized personnel access to port 
facilities outside of normal business hours or in locations where there is no other
monitoring of access. In addition, many  port  employees are issued iPhones with
fingerprint and facial recognition as an alternative to password protection, and facial
recognition is also used on Microsoft Windows 10. 
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), airport employees are required to
scan their fingerprint at many secure doors throughout the facility. Sea-Tac also offers 
travelers the option of using CLEAR to validate the identity of a traveler as they process
through TSA checkpoints using biometric technology instead of using traditional
identification and validation methods. 

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On the maritime side, biometric data is required by federal regulation for issuance of
TSA-issued Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) smart cards that are
required to access maritime facilities regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and cruise
terminal operational areas. In addition, the cruise industry is increasingly taking
advantage of biometrics as a passenger facilitation tool; for example, Norwegian Cruise
Line and CBP have partnered for use of facial recognition for disembarkation of guests at
Pier 66. 
One of the leading drivers of the expected deployment of public-facing biometrics over the next
few years is implementation by CBP  of a Congressionally  mandated  biometric exit-entry
screening process for international air passengers. Sea-Tac's International Arrivals Facility will
incorporate facial recognition for almost all arriving passengers (other than those U.S. citizens
who opt out), and CBP is working with the port and its airline partners to incorporate this
technology into departing international passenger processes. 
Facial recognition is also increasingly being utilized by the port's private sector partners. Delta 
Air Lines opened the first full biometric airport terminal in Atlanta in November 2018, and is
working to bring aspects of their "curb to gate" experience to Sea-Tac. Similarly, many of the
port's cruise partners are working to streamline the check-in and boarding process for their
travelers through facial recognition. 
Some members of the public and various advocacy organizations have expressed concerns
about the rapidly expanding use of facial recognition. These stakeholders have raised issues
around privacy, equity, and civil liberties, although their main focus has been on broad law
enforcement use of this technology for "mass surveillance" rather than the kind of customer
facilitation uses that are being considered at port facilities. They view the use of appropriate
regulation to ensure protections against abuse, discrimination, and unintended consequences
to be a condition for approval of the use of these technologies. 







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