TBT: I opted out of airport facial recognition—it wasn't easy

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 07.16.20 The Department of Homeland Security reports that the facial recognition program being used at airports will be able to scan 97 percent of commercial air passengers departing the US by 2023. But facial recognition isn't just inaccurate in its infancy—it sets off all kinds of alarms for privacy advocates. Trouble is, it's not as easy to get out of as you might think. Read all about one writer's journey to opt-out of airport facial recognition, plus the best WIRED stories from this month a year ago below.   I Opted Out of Facial Recognition at the Airport—It Wasn't Easy Opinion: We've been assured that facial recognition technology is secure, reliable, and accurate. That's far from certain. The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year The Twisted Flight Paths of 'Global Girl' and the Lolita Express Model-turned-pilot Nadia Marcinko, an alleged accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, is among a group of girls who came to the Epstein syndicate—presumably by plane—from abroad. This Neat Design Could Make a Plane's Middle Seats Tolerable Molon Labe designed a middle seat for airplanes that is set lower and three inches back from the seats on either side. Was Bitcoin Created by This International Drug Dealer? Maybe! The search for Satoshi Nakamoto has led down many rabbit holes. I went down another: the case of global criminal mastermind Paul LeRoux. How the West Got China's Social Credit System Wrong It occupies a spot next to Black Mirror and Big Brother in popular imagination, but China's social credit project is far more complicated than a single, all-powerful numerical score. Where Do Supermassive Black Holes Come From? A new study may shed light on a long-standing astronomical conundrum. Social Media Could Make It Impossible to Grow Up Early internet scholars bemoaned the loss of childhood. In reality, the exact opposite is happening.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions