Clear Secure

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from )
Clear Secure, Inc.
CLEAR
FormerlyVerified Identity Pass
TypePublic
NYSE: YOU
IndustryIdentity verification
PredecessorVerified Identity Pass, Inc.
Founded2010
FoundersCaryn Seidman-Becker
Ken Cornick
HeadquartersManhattan,
New York
,
United States of America
Number of locations
50+ airports, stadiums, and other venues (2021)
Area served
United States
Key people
Products
  • CLEAR Pass
  • Health Pass by CLEAR
Services
  • Security
  • Airport Verification
RevenueIncrease US$230.8 million (2020)
Decrease US$9.31 million (2020)
Number of employees
1,650 (2021)
Subsidiaries
  • Alclear, LLC.
  • Secure Identity, LLC.
Websitewww.clearme.com

Clear Secure, Inc. (operating as: CLEAR) is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification system at Major United States Airport and Stadiums.

History[]

Origin and founders[]

Steven Brill was the owner of Verified Identity Pass, who was running CLEAR at the time. After stepping away from the company in 2008 Steven Brill gave an announcement to the customers regarding CLEAR and their future “I am deeply saddened for Clear’s dedicated staff and loyal customers that the company has ceased operations”. The email was sent out to all employees and customers of CLEAR.[1]

2010s[]

Caryn Seidman-Becker took over Clear in 2010 with her partner and co-founder Ken Cornick. Caryn Seidman-Becker ultimately overlooks everything that is being done in the company such as the overall approach the company takes, marketing, and business development. Clear operates out of its headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Clear began to work under the larger company of Alclear.[2]

Caryn Seidman-Becker and Ken Cornick saw Clear as a promising business to pursue based on the fact that they believed the market for surveillance and security would rise due to the catastrophic events that happened on 9/11.

In 2021, Clear went public as Clear Secure, Inc. on the NYSE with the ticker symbol ‘YOU’.[3]

Corporate Affairs[]

Patents[]

The company has received patents for “physical token-less security screening using biometrics”, which allows a person to be identified using their individual and distinctive biometric identity that the company creates.[4] The company has been successful in filing and receiving several patents throughout the years. On February 4, 2020, the company was granted the ability to ticket people through their biometric identities. Prior to this patent, the company was also granted two patents on January 14, 2020 to conduct pre-identification before an individual approached the stationed device and to use individual biometric identities to expedite interactions with people in the close vicinity. To simplify and expedite the process even further, on December 31, 2019, the company was granted a patent to use mobile devices in enrolling into the system.

Clear has partnerships with the European company Oberthur Technologies. Oberthur provides Clear with identification cards encoded with information that is beyond a normal ID card. They follow the federal standards for Personal Identity Verification (PIV).[5]

Anti-Terrorism[]

In June 2012, CLEAR received certification under the SAFETY Act (Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002) by the United States Department of Homeland Security.[6][7]

Marketing and Collaborations[]

Clear has partnerships with Airlines, Stadiums and Car rental companies. The airline currently partners with Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.[8][9][10] This includes partnerships with Major League Baseball and National Football League.[11][12]

Delta Airlines partners with Clear.

Clear has also partnered with Lyft which grants people a 3-month free trial to test out Clear and gives them a $20 voucher for Lyft customers to use towards a trip to any airport.[13]

Clear formerly had a partnership with car rental company Hertz until the company declared bankrupt.[14][15]

Revenue[]

The company charges its customers $179 per year for the program. This cost of membership allows them to skip past long lines, whether they be at stadiums/arenas, airports, or concerts.[16] By expanding and diversifying their locations, CLEAR also receives additional revenue from teams, who pay licensing fees.[17]

Awards[]

In June 2019, Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker and President Ken Cornick were given the 2019 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award for the New York Region.[18]

Reception[]

Despite the promised expedition through airport crowds and the special status that one believes to have under AlClear, in reality many travelers and subscribers don’t feel like they're getting much out of their subscription. After confirming a person's identity with Alclear with a person's “biometrically encoded card”,[19] the person still has to go through TSA and go through their security efforts. Critics of AlClear call out how easy it is for these “security companies” to take a user's biometrics, without much knowledge as to where and who their information is going to. Users put their faith in companies like AlClear to handle their personal information to themselves and use it only for the purposes of the business model.[20] India Mckineey, Deputy Director of Federal Affairs at the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that the data Clear is not 100% safe, there will always be the fear and threat of a hacking. She wonders if giving your biometrics up for the ability to cut the line at the airport or a stadium is worth it.[21]

Controversies[]

Clear has the fear of security breach worrying customers and companies alike, considering its database is filled with thousands of their customers' biometrics. In 2008 before being bought out a laptop was stolen from the company with unencrypted information from 33,000 customers.[21]

Public Opposition[]

On the federal level, there are no restrictions on biometric data collection. However, several states, such as Illinois, Texas, Washington, and California, have shown their opposition to data collection and the admission of this data to others. In 2008, Illinois banned the admission and auctioning of data, with the exception of subpoenas or consent. The company has acknowledged the conversations around data collection and disclosure, in which it agrees that biometric data should not be used without consent, especially in consideration of past incidents with Facebook, Uber, Airbnb, and other companies.

Locations[]

Clear has locations throughout the United States, some major cities they are located in are Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Houston. They have over 50 locations that vary from airports to sporting event venues.[22]

Airport[]

As of 1 October 2021, the following airports is where CLEAR has dedicated lanes for expedited security.

Sports Venues[]

References[]

  1. ^ Perlow, Jason (June 22, 2019). "CLEAR Airport Verified Identity Pass calls it Quits (Passed)". zdnet.com.
  2. ^ "Technology award winner: CLEAR". www.ey.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  3. ^ McGrath, Maggie. "As Clear Secure Takes Off In $4.5 Billion IPO, CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker Eyes A 'Frictionless' Future". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  4. ^ "Wipo Publishes Patent of Alclear for 'Physical Token-Less Security Screening Using Biometrics' (American Inventors)". US Fed News. November 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Patents Assigned to Alclear LLC - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  6. ^ "CLEAR Receives SAFETY Act Certification by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security". AviationPros.com.
  7. ^ "News Release: S&T Approves 1,000th Anti-Terrorism Technology for SAFETY Act Protections". Department of Homeland Security. 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  8. ^ "CLEAR enrollment, pricing now available for SkyMiles members". Delta News Hub. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  9. ^ Airlines, United. "United Airlines and CLEAR Partner to Make Travel Easier for MileagePlus® Members". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  10. ^ Harriet Baskas, Special for USA TODAY (30 July 2015). "Alaska Airlines test program replaces boarding passes with fingerprints". USA TODAY.
  11. ^ "MLB partners with Clear for biometric ticketing roll-out". smartseries.sportspromedia.com. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  12. ^ "Clear Gains NFL Investment to Boost Digital Health Pass". www.sporttechie.com. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  13. ^ McCorvey, J. J. (2018-10-26). "Hate lines? You could speed through the stadium or airport (in return for your personal data)". Fast Company. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  14. ^ "Is CLEAR still partnered with Hertz?". www.clearme.com. Retrieved 2021-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Lekach, Sasha (11 December 2018). "Facial recognition speeds up car rental process, but at a privacy cost". Mashable. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  16. ^ Sharkey, Joe (2012-05-02). "V.I.P. Treatment Eases the Way Through Security". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  17. ^ Levin, Alan and Jonathan Levin (December 2016). "Popcorn! Peanuts! Iris Scan! NBA, MLB Teams Enter High-Tech Age". Bloomberg.Com.
  18. ^ "Technology award winner: CLEAR". www.ey.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  19. ^ Sharkey, Joe (March 13, 2012). "A Partnership Aims At Streamlining Security". The New York Times.
  20. ^ McCorvey, J.J. (November 2018). "Working the Crowd". Fast Company. No. 228. pp. 90–106.
  21. ^ a b "Cut the line? Biometric ID firm is taking its technology to the masses". Crain's New York Business. 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  22. ^ "Locations in airports and stadiums | CLEAR". www.clearme.com. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
Retrieved from ""