A secret TSA program has been assigning air marshals to spy on thousands of US citizens

by Alex Hollings · July 31, 2018

Earlier this week, an investigation from the Boston Globe uncovered a TSA program spanning the past eight years that saw federal air marshals secretly following and monitoring U.S. citizens as they flew between domestic destinations. The program, called “Quiet Skies,” had gone undisclosed since its inception in 2010 and remains active today.

The program sees air marshals identifying passengers that present “suspicious behavior.” Once a martial has determined someone’s behavior to be suspicious, they secretly follow and observe the passenger to ensure they don’t pose a threat to the safety of others. The endeavor, then, seems somewhat innocuous, but some have raised concerns regarding the breadth of behavior that could be deemed suspicious. Air marshals have begun following and reporting on the behavior of Americans for things as slight as sweating more than others in the room or making frequent trips to the bathroom.

About Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

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Alan t
5 years ago I was at JFK waiting for my daughter to board a flight to Europe. I can't tell you how many Middle Eastern women there were working around in full good job carrying these giant carry-all bags that you could have hit a small child in. It was interesting to see them in line to go thru security with a group iof Hasidic Jews in their little bowler hats.
Daniel
Excellent point!
clluelo
Well that is the one step too far people have been worried about
Anthony M
Once you go through security you essentially open up yourself to any reasonable scrutiny by any law enforcement present in the secure area of any airport. If a cop on the ground saw you doing something odd or exhibiting a behavior outside the baseline, he/she would likely check on it. Same thing works for when you're in flight with the FAMS. If the airlines or security tag you as someone they deem worth looking into people shouldn't be surprised if FAMS follow up on it. Let's face it, that's the entire concept of Homeland Security. They are not infringing upon anyone's rights by gingerly walking around an airport and keeping tabs on anyone.
Daniel
LoL