Lois Larson
CLEAR Secure, Inc. is a New York-based American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at some major airports and stadiums. The company charges its customers $199 per year for a premium program that allows them to skip security lines by scanning their fingerprints and irises to verify their identity. CLEAR has faced scrutiny for security incidents and ethical criticism for enabling wealthier flyers to bypass security lines without speeding up the process for all travellers. The company was founded in 2003 by Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani, but it shut down in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy. In 2010, Caryn Seidman Becker acquired CLEAR and relaunched it in 2012. The company went public in 2021 and now has 59 airport locations and more than 31 million verified users nationwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of company | For-profit corporation |
| Founding | 2003 |
| Bankruptcy | 2009 |
| Relaunch | 2012 |
| Going public | 2021 |
| Founder | Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani |
| Current owner and CEO | Caryn Seidman Becker |
| Business model | Partnerships with airports, with the company sharing a portion of its revenue with these entities |
| Annual membership cost | $199 |
| Number of airport locations | 59 |
| Number of verified users | 31 million |
| Security incidents | Several reported incidents where CLEAR allowed passengers to pass through without proper identification |
| Ethical criticism | Enabling wealthier flyers to bypass security lines without speeding up the security process as a whole |
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What You'll Learn
Clear Secure, Inc. is an American technology company
Clear Secure's business model involves partnerships with airports, where the company shares a portion of its revenue. For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) receives 12.5% of Clear's revenue generated at the airport. The company charges its customers $199 per year for a premium program named CLEAR Plus, which allows users to skip security lines by scanning their fingerprints and irises for identity verification instead of presenting their IDs to a TSA officer.
The company has faced scrutiny due to security incidents where individuals were able to pass through checkpoints without proper identification. These incidents have raised concerns about the potential for misuse of biometric data and the creation of a two-tiered system that benefits wealthier flyers who can afford Clear's services. Despite the criticism, Clear Secure has continued to expand its partnerships and enhance its technology, such as introducing EnVe Pods in 2024, which are claimed to reduce verification time by using high-resolution cameras for identification.
Clear Secure has also diversified its offerings beyond airport security. The company has partnered with Lyft, LinkedIn, and rental car companies to provide digital identity verification services. Additionally, Clear offers businesses the opportunity to transform their customer experiences through increased trust, efficiency, and satisfaction. With its secure identity platform, Clear aims to make daily life safer and more accessible for its users.
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Airports receive commissions and portions of Clear's revenue
CLEAR Secure, Inc. is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at select major airports and stadiums. The company charges its customers $199 per year for a premium program named CLEAR Plus, which allows them to skip security lines by scanning their fingerprints and irises for identity verification instead of showing their IDs to a TSA officer. CLEAR has partnerships with airports, where the company shares a portion of its revenue with these entities. For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) receives 12.5% of CLEAR's revenue generated at the airport. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airport also receive a portion of CLEAR's revenue.
CLEAR has been the subject of scrutiny due to security incidents where individuals not enrolled in the program were allowed to pass through TSA checkpoints without proper identification. These incidents have raised concerns about the potential for misuse and the bypassing of essential security measures. As a result, there have been calls for increased ID checks by TSA officers, even for passengers using CLEAR. Despite the criticism, CLEAR has grown into a global company with 59 airport locations and over 31 million verified users.
CLEAR's business model involves partnerships with airports, where the company shares a portion of its revenue. This has been a controversial aspect of CLEAR's operations. Critics argue that the commissions paid to airports create an incentive for them to worsen the security process for non-CLEAR customers, effectively creating a two-tier system that prioritizes those who can afford the service. This has led to ethical concerns about the fairness of the system, as wealthier flyers can pay to bypass security lines, while others may experience longer wait times.
CLEAR's partnerships with airports and the resulting commissions have been a significant factor in the company's success and expansion. By sharing a portion of its revenue, CLEAR gains access to prime locations and the ability to market its services to a captive audience. The airports, in turn, benefit financially from CLEAR's presence and can offer a perceived improvement in the customer experience by reducing wait times for those who opt for the service. However, the potential negative impact on non-CLEAR customers and the perception of creating a pay-to-skip-the-line system have led to scrutiny and proposals for legislative changes to curtail these practices.
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Security incidents and ethical criticism
Clear Secure, Inc., an American technology company, has faced scrutiny for security incidents and ethical criticism. The company operates biometric travel document verification systems at select major airports and stadiums. The security incidents have attracted the attention of the House Homeland Security Committee, with members requesting that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) verify the identification of all passengers, including those using Clear. In response, the TSA advised Clear and participating airports to increase the number of ID checks by TSA officers.
Clear has been criticised for allowing wealthier flyers to bypass airport security lines by paying for its services and providing their biometric data. Critics argue that Clear's offer to American flyers prioritises those who can afford to pay for expedited security screening, jumping ahead of other passengers accessing the same essential federal service. This has led to proposals for legislation to curtail the company's practices. Representatives have emphasised that airport security is a government function funded by taxpayers and should not be subject to additional fees.
In defence of Clear, some users have shared their positive experiences with the service, highlighting how it has made their travels faster and easier. They argue that Clear members still undergo security screening and that the issues raised are not widespread.
However, Clear has been implicated in multiple security incidents, including two occurrences in 2023, where individuals not enrolled in the programme were escorted through TSA checkpoints without presenting identification. One incident involved a passenger with a discarded boarding pass. These incidents, along with similar occurrences, have raised concerns about unauthorised individuals accessing secure areas. Clear has also been criticised for creating incentives for airports to worsen the security process for non-Clear customers.
To address security concerns, Clear introduced EnVe Pods in November 2024, which utilise high-resolution cameras for identification instead of fingerprints or eye scans. The company claims this process will be significantly faster than the previous system.
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Clear's biometric identity verification process
Clear Secure, Inc. is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at select major airports and stadiums. The company was founded in 2003 but shut down in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy. It was then relaunched in 2012 and went public in 2021. Clear charges its customers $199 per year for a premium program named CLEAR Plus, although this fee can be lowered if the user is a member of Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, or holds an American Express Centurion, Platinum, or Green Card.
Clear's business model involves partnerships with airports, where the company shares a portion of its revenue with these entities. For instance, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) receives 12.5% of Clear's revenue generated at the airport. Clear has also partnered with companies such as Lyft and LinkedIn to offer digital identity verification services. Through these partnerships, Clear provides faster and more secure experiences for its customers, such as skipping rental car counters or displaying a "Verified" badge on LinkedIn profiles.
Clear's identity verification process has faced scrutiny due to security incidents, where individuals not enrolled in the program were able to bypass TSA security checkpoints without proper identification. In response, the TSA has advised Clear and participating airports to increase the number of IDs checked by TSA officers. Despite these incidents, Clear continues to expand its network of partners and members, offering a more seamless and secure experience for travellers.
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Clear's partnerships and former partnerships
CLEAR Secure, Inc. is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at select airports and stadiums. The company was founded in 2003 but shut down in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy. It was then acquired by Caryn Seidman Becker in 2010 and relaunched in 2012. The company went public in 2021.
CLEAR's business model involves partnerships with airports, where the company shares a portion of its revenue with these entities. For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) receives 12.5% of CLEAR's revenue generated at the airport. CLEAR has also partnered with Lyft, offering a 3-month free trial and a $20 voucher for Lyft customers travelling to any airport. The company also had a former partnership with car rental company Hertz until it declared bankruptcy. CLEAR is a member of the FIDO Alliance and the CARIN Alliance.
CLEAR has faced scrutiny and criticism for security incidents and ethical concerns. There have been incidents where individuals not enrolled in the company's program were allowed to pass through security checkpoints without proper identification. These incidents have raised concerns about the potential for misuse of biometric data and the creation of a two-tiered system that prioritises wealthier flyers who can afford CLEAR's services. Despite the criticism, CLEAR has a significant user base with over 31 million verified users nationwide.
CLEAR's partnerships with airports and its impact on security processes have sparked debates and proposals for legislative changes. Some critics argue that the commissions paid to airports create an incentive for them to worsen the security process for non-CLEAR customers. Lawmakers have proposed legislation to curtail these practices and ensure standardised security checks for all travellers.
CLEAR has taken steps to address security concerns and improve its systems, such as debuting new EnVe Pods in November 2024, which use high-resolution cameras for faster and more efficient traveller identification. The company charges customers $199 per year for its premium program, CLEAR Plus, offering expedited security screening at airports.
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Frequently asked questions
Clear Secure, Inc. is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at airports. It was founded in 2003 by Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani, who were the original owners. Caryn Seidman Becker is the current Chair, CEO, and Founder of CLEAR. She acquired the company out of bankruptcy in 2010.
Clear partners with airports, sharing a portion of its revenue with these entities in exchange for operating at their locations. The company charges customers $199 per year for a premium program, which can be lowered for certain memberships.
Clear offers faster airport security for its customers. By verifying their identity through biometric data, customers can skip the line and get to the X-ray and pat-down stage more quickly.
Yes, Clear has faced scrutiny for security incidents where individuals were able to pass through without proper identification. It has also been criticised for enabling wealthier flyers to bypass security lines without speeding up the process for all. Some argue that the commissions paid to airports create an incentive to worsen the security process for non-Clear customers.
The TSA is the primary governmental agency in charge of security at airports. Clear customers can pair their membership with TSA PreCheck for easier security screening. However, there has been talk of increased ID verification by the TSA for Clear customers due to security incidents.
