"Lie detectors - the last word in airline security?"

[gnarlydorkette]

Lie detectors - the last word in airline security?
18.11.05 3.20pm

NETANYA, Israel - A new walk-through airport lie detector made in Israel may prove to be the toughest challenge yet for potential hijackers or drugs smugglers.

Tested in Russia, the two-stage GK-1 voice analyser requires that passengers don headphones at a console and answer "yes" or "no" into a microphone to questions about whether they are planning something illicit.

The software will almost always pick up uncontrollable tremors in the voice that give away liars or those with something to hide, say its designers at Israeli firm Nemesysco.

"In our trial, 500 passengers went through the test, and then each was subjected to full traditional searches," said chief executive officer Amir Liberman. "The one person found to be planning something illegal was the one who failed our test." The GK-1 is expected to cost between US$10,000-US$30,000 when marketed. A spokesman for Moscow's Domodyedevo airport, which is using a prototype, said "the tester (lie detector) has proved to be effective and we are in principle ready to use it".

The September 11, 2001 hijacking attacks have led to a slew of innovations designed to boost airline security. Liberman said several countries had expressed interest in the GK-1.

"Unlike conventional lie detectors such as the polygraph, this is minimally invasive, requiring hardly any physical contact," Liberman said, adding that the first stage of the test takes between 30-75 seconds.

Those that fail are taken aside for more intensive questioning and, if necessary, searches. Liberman said around 12 per cent of passengers tend to show stress even when they have nothing to hide.

"Some may feel nervous because they have used drugs, while having no intention to smuggle drugs," he said. "The whole thing is performed in a low-key manner to avoid causing anxiety."
- REUTERS

My husband proposed me to post this news story and ask Deaf members their opinion.

You know how some Deaf people don't have that great vocal skills so if they are subject to go through this process, will it create a flawed result and put the Deaf person through the hell of being invasive by strip-search, bag-search, and whatnot?? Is this necessary? And if a Deaf person can get out of this process, every other hearing person who has a malicious purpose will pretend to be Deaf too and abuse this "service"... too risky!

How can a Deaf person avoid this result if his/her voice set off a red flag?
My husband said that once a Deaf person gets to the airport, s/he should inform them that s/he is deaf so they can bag-search him/her and skip the "lie-detector" process instead of dealing wiht the troubles at the spot which may take several extra hours of waiting as the security goes through everything on you.

Do you think those lie-detector security features should be installed at American airports???

Opinions, feedbacks, and statements are welcome.

 

[DarrenD]

Oh, hell no!

"Sir, are you planning to do anything illegal on this flight?"

Passenger, thinking about copying a CD or movie to his laptop while in flight, "Uh, no..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Step into this room please..."

 

[Dennis S.]

I don't think this technology would really work for anyone, hearing or deaf. Lies are all in the state of one's mind, so you can really be truthful when you form the wrong perspective in your head.

Besides, the machine all day only listens to "No." I'm afraid that the machine is so finely tuned to that word that when someone says anything other than no, it'll break it.

Deaf people shouldn't have to be forced to be searched just because a technology doesn't fit them. Screw that.

 

[mp42]

If so, the airline business would be bankrupted fast!