[joakleaf]

We've seen this for a couple of weeks now... The NSA can collect your finger print from the airport among other places already with technology specifically for this purpose.

How do they benefit from collecting your fingerprint from a phone?

What is it you think they can do with it that they cannot already do?

Tracking cookies from Facebook and Google can do far more to invade on your privacy.

[ChikkaChiChi]

Weird. I just travelled from Minneapolis, to Atlanta, and back again and I'm all but certain I did not actually touch ANYTHING in any airport.

[joakleaf]

When you enter the US, you've had to give your finger prints for many years now.

I've even been scanned once leaving.

That means they have a database of all US and non-US citizen's who has entered the country.

I am not a US citizen, but I don't understand why Americans have never complained about it?

[tedunangst]

Citizens aren't fingerprinted.

[joakleaf]

In that case, I stand corrected and I am sorry about that.

However, it does sound like it would be really easy for the US government to convince everybody that citizens should also have their finger prints scanned to confirm their identity.

In fact it is really really odd that they only scan foreigners to confirm their identity.

[ubernostrum]

The US isn't the only country that does this. Japan does it too, at least.

[tedunangst]

You didn't have to take off your shoes and put them through the DNA extraction device disguised as an x-ray machine?

[ChikkaChiChi]

Funny, except for the fact that I managed to look angry enough about the whole process that I did get a pat down.

I still get a kick out the the XKCD battery comic...