Civil libertarians and Arab Americans denounced Gore's proposals on computerized "profiling" of passengers, saying the recommendations are unconstitutional and will prompt biased treatment of people with Arabic-sounding names. The profiling program is expected to be phased in soon.
Other proposals have been called controversial; one would require that children under two years old be assigned their own seats on airplanes, instead of sitting on adults' laps as they're currently allowed to do. The panel also called for expediting by five years deployment of a satellite-based computer network for guiding pilots in flight. It would replace the Federal Aviation Administration's aging air traffic-control computers.
Clinton warmly hailed the report, some of which would require congressional action, saying it "lays out a clear plan of action to ensure that America's airways and airplanes will remain the safest and our passengers the most secure in the world. ... We will bring our air traffic control system into the 21st century by converting to space-age satellite technology."
The FAA has warned for years that requiring that infants have seats could prompt families to travel instead by car, which is not as safe as air travel. Flight attendants have complained that everything in aircraft cabins is secure except small children.
But the most controversial item in the Gore plan is its endorsement of computerized passenger "profiling" to select potential terrorists who should have their bags scrutinized.
Government officials said airlines will be asked to collect dozens of categories of data to construct passenger profiles - for example, whether tickets were bought using a credit card (since use of cash could be seen as a tipoff of possible trouble); how recently tickets were purchased (buying them only minutes before a flight may create suspicion); and a traveler's destination (Libya would raise a red flag). Traveling with a child would remove some suspicion, as would renting a car on arrival, and using two-way tickets.
Many foreign countries have successfully used such profiling techniques for years, along with aggressive interviewing by security personnel, to single out potential terrorists. Amtrak police and the U.S. Customs Service have also employed the tactic to spot drug couriers.
The panel put in place numerous safeguards, such as barring the airlines from collecting data on passengers' race, religion or nation of origin. It also said searches must not stigmatize travelers, and that airline files cannot be permanent.
Yet Arab American and civil liberties groups said the policy violates the right to privacy, won't improve air safety and will cause humiliating travel delays for people with Arabic-sounding names.