Press Release

 

January 11, 2006
Independent Audit Confirms Clear Adheres to Privacy Policies and Promises. Ernst & Young LLP Conducted First-Ever Independent Privacy Audit of Registered Traveler Program.

 

New York, NY - Verified Identity Pass, Inc. today announced that it has undergone a four month long privacy audit conducted by Ernst & Young LLP, as part of its commitment to Clear members. This is the first ever independent privacy audit of a registered traveler program.

 

The audit was formally released on January 6, 2006 and Ernst & Young’s examination was conducted in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and included:

obtaining an understanding of Verified ID’s controls over the privacy of personal information, testing and evaluating the operating effectiveness of the controls,

testing compliance with Verified ID’s commitments in the privacy policy, and

Clear's system design performing such other procedures as it considered necessary in the circumstances.

 

The examination was conducted to test Verified ID’s assertion that it (i) maintained effective privacy controls over personal information collected in the Clear Registered Traveler Program, which provided reasonable assurance that the personal information was collected, used, retained, and disclosed in accordance with Verified ID’s commitments in the Program’s privacy policy and the AICPA Trust Services Privacy Criteria (available at www.aicpa.org/privacy), and (ii) complied with its commitments in the privacy policy.

 

Under AICPA standards, the assertion is the responsibility of Verified ID's management. Ernst & Young's responsibility is to conduct an examination that it believes provides a reasonable basis for its opinion and to express an opinion based on its examination.

 

In its examination report, Ernst & Young found that Verified Identity Pass Inc.'s assertion was fairly stated, in all material respects, based on Verified ID's privacy policy and on the AICPA Trust Services Privacy Criteria.

 

"We are delighted to present the findings of our first privacy audit as evidence of our dedication to privacy protection," said Steven Brill, CEO. "In this emerging industry, our goal is to maintain the highest standards possible when it comes to protecting the privacy of registered travelers." Clear does not track Members' movements, and ensures the protection of Members' privacy holding all data under the strictest controls and policies. Membership also includes an identity theft warranty which serves as an added protection for Clear Members' personal information.

 

Visit www.flyclear.com for a copy of Ernst & Young's examination report and more information on Clear's privacy policies. The statements in this press release are qualified in their entirety by the text of Ernst & Young's examination report.

About Verified Identity Pass and Clear
Verified Identity Pass, Inc. was founded in 2003 by journalist and entrepreneur Steven Brill. Clear is the first privately run Registered Traveler program operating at a U.S. Airport. Brill's partners in VERIFIED ID include Lockheed Martin and ARINC.

 

Clear has been operational since July 19, 2005 at Orlando International Airport. Open to all travelers at a fee of $79.95 per year, enrollees begin an application online at flyclear.com and then submit biometric data (fingerprint and iris images) at the Clear enrollment stations in the airport. Once approved by TSA, Members use the specially designated Clear Lanes upon arrival at the airport's security checkpoints for expedited passage.