Automated Targeting System

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The Automated Targeting System or ATS is a United States Department of Homeland Security computerized system that for every person who crosses U.S. borders scrutinizes a large volume of data related to that person (see below), and then automatically assigns a rating for which the expectation is that it helps gauge whether this person may be placed within a risk group of terrorists or other criminals.

These ratings take many details into account, such as country of origin, how travel to the U.S. was funded, and the visitor's driving record. Other more mundane details also factor in, such as where the person is sitting on the flight and what they ordered for their meal.

The existence of such a system was first discovered by the public in November 2006, when a mention of it appeared in the Federal Register. The system was first implemented in the late 1990s, and was significantly expanded shortly after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Many organizations have expressed opposition to the system, citing concerns about reliability and undue scrutiny.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation expressed their concerns:

The Automated Targeting System (ATS) will create and assign "risk assessments" to tens of millions of citizens as they enter and leave the country. Individuals will have no way to access information about their "risk assessment" scores or to correct any false information about them. But once the assessment is made, the government will retain the information for 40 years -- as well as make it available to untold numbers of federal, state, local, and foreign agencies in addition to contractors, grantees, consultants, and others.^[1]

The American Civil Liberties Union had similar concerns.^[2]

[edit] Rating factors

According to the Department of Homeland Security website, other information that may be collected includes:

Date of reservation
Date(s) of intended travel
Other names on PNR (PNR is Passenger Name Record, provided by commercial carriers)
Number of travelers on PNR
Address
All forms of payment information
Billing address
Contact telephone numbers
All travel itinerary for specific PNR
Frequent flyer information
Travel agency
Travel agent
Code share PNR information
Travel status of passenger
Split/Divided PNR information
Identifiers for free tickets
Oneway tickets
Email address
Ticketing field information
ATFQ fields
General remarks
Ticket number
Seat number
Date of ticket issuance
Any collected APIS information
No show history
Number of bags
Bag tag numbers
Go show information
Number of bags on each segment
Social Security information
Voluntary/involuntary upgrades
Received from information
All historical changes to the PNR