Travelore Tips: Your Facebook Profile Can Get You Through Airport Security. Seriously

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Recent traveler Zach Klein thought he was in trouble when he reached airport security and realized he'd left his government-issued ID at home. But that was until the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told him he could use his Facebook profile as proof of his identity instead. The Vimeo co-founder and CEO of DIY.org was so shocked, he Tweeted about it:

Got to the airport, realized I left my ID at home. TSA allowed me to use my Facebook profile instead.

What's even more shocking to many travelers is that this isn't a new development. The TSA has a longtime policy that allows travelers to pass through security using "other means" of substantiating identity, including the use of any "publicly available database." As this particular case has demonstrated, this apparently includes social media websites like Facebook.

It's not all that surprising, considering the gradual increase in security measures by social media sites themselves, requiring users to utilize their government-issued photo IDs to confirm their identity. If you've been locked out of your account, for example,Facebook states you must send in photographs of either a birth certificate, driver's license, passport, marriage certificate, or social security card to verify your identity.Instagram users have also been required to confirm their identities by showing government-issued photo IDs.

That said, there doesn't appear to be a list of which "publicly available databases" are officially accepted by the TSA in lieu of a government-issued ID. According to Mashable, who contacted the TSA for further clarification, the designations remain "somewhat murky." However, as this particular case has proven, we think it's safe to say that having an online social media profile might be a surprisingly useful travel tool to have—just in case.

Contributed by cntraveler.com

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