This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube video (Fox 5 News segment) titled "United Airlines Uses Jumio to Scan Passports @HotspotShield" dated August 8, 2014. It is a field news report from Newark Liberty International Airport by reporter Joel Waldman about United Airlines' new mobile app feature that lets travelers scan passports for international check-in. The excerpt includes the reporter, several on-screen interviewees (passengers), a Jumio representative describing their verification/security claims, and Robert Siciliano (identified as an identity-theft expert with Hotspot Shield) commenting on the risks and advising consumers to do their homework. The discussion focuses on how the passport-scan feature works and related privacy/security concerns.
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Passports go mobile with United Airlines. Just scan it with your smartphone before you fly. It is a drastic move to save you time, but is it also putting your passport info at risk? Tonight, United Airlines is defending these high-tech changes for checking in. Fox 5's Joel Waldman live tonight at Newark Airport with the latest on this story. Good evening, Joel.
Hey, Carrie and Dari, how you doing? It already exists for domestic flights, meaning you can use this to check in, but now you can use your cell phone to check in internationally. But you know what that means? That means scanning your passport and all the private information that goes along with it. United Airlines come out with a new mobile app. It actually is the first one in the US that allows international travelers— you can scan your passport using your mobile app.
Mm-hmm.
What do you think of that?
That's nice. That's nice.
I think I'd rather carry a passport in my hand than have it scanned on my phone. Not everyone's united about United Airlines becoming the first US carrier allowing you to scan your passport —so you can check in for your international flight using just your mobile phone. Much like making a mobile deposit at the bank, this new United app works almost exactly the same way. You take your passport and you take your cell phone camera, you snap a photo, that information is automatically uploaded. The catch here is that there's a third party contracted out by United called Jumio. They collect the information, and that's what concerns some people.
I don't think that's a good decision that they made because there's been a lot of breach of passwords, passports, all kinds of personal information.—
But don't worry, says Robert Siciliano, identity theft expert with Hotspot Shield.
There's always going to be risks. However, with this particular application, the venture capitalists that are behind it, they're essentially rock stars in the VC industry. Those who are building it, you know, they certainly know what they're doing. But all that being said, it's really important that consumers do their homework.
Jumio itself says it takes particular pride in securing your passport data.
Our verification technology is designed to reject non-authentic documents and images. No manual document handling anymore. And rest assured that we exercise the highest level of data security.
If you do decide to use United's mobile app, you're able to scan your passport 24 hours before your departure, and once your passport scan is verified, you get your boarding pass. But don't think you can just leave your passport home. The friendly skies aren't that friendly. You'll still have to show your physical passport at the airport to make sure you're who you say you are. A whole other security concern. So you would rather just carry your passport the old-fashioned way?
I think it's safer that way. I think it's safer that way. The old-fashioned way? The old-fashioned way.
The good old-fashioned way. Meanwhile, United says the app is available both on the Android and Apple phones. They also say that they're going to survey their flyers as they go with this new app to try to optimize it and make it as simple and easy and efficient to use as possible. Possible. Reporting live from Newark International Liberty Airport, Joel Wallman, Fox 5 News.
