Up First – A CLEAR Path to the Front of the Line
Date: August 31, 2025
Host: Ayesha Rascoe
Featured Guest: Kim Naderfehn Petersa (Producer), David Zipper (MIT), Donald Cohen (Author), Kyle McLaughlin (Clear VP), Brody Ford (Bloomberg), Michael Sandel (Harvard Professor)
Overview
This episode of NPR's "Up First: The Sunday Story" looks at the rise of CLEAR, a private biometrics company operating in airport security lines, and explores the broader issue of private companies performing roles traditionally managed by the government in public spaces. Through personal stories, expert insights, and investigative journalism, the episode probes what happens when public and private interests collide in essential services like airport security, and how this interplay raises questions about equality, convenience, security, and the role of money in accessing public goods.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Frustration at Airport Security
- David Zipper's Story:
- Experience: Was frustrated when CLEAR employees moved their customers to the front in the TSA PreCheck line, despite his own efforts to qualify for expedited screening (01:20–03:19).
- Quote:
"It's a line cutting privilege. That's all it's doing."
—David Zipper (03:15) - Zipper wrote an article about his experience, which resonated widely as it articulated a growing public discomfort with CLEAR and the privatization of airport security (04:47–05:13).
2. The Rise of Privatization in Public Services
- Historical Context:
- Kim Naderfehn Petersa explains privatization isn't new—it accelerated in the 1970s and has touched many sectors, from water to prisons (08:28).
- Under the Trump administration, privatization is being actively promoted, including ideas to privatize elements of the USPS and cut government staff (07:46–08:28).
3. CLEAR’s Origin & Business Model
- Origin:
- Launched after 9/11 as part of a government pilot program (Registered Traveler Program), designed to identify low-risk flyers and move them more quickly through security (09:02–10:09).
- Initially provided background checks but shifted focus to biometrics and "line privilege" after losing access to do background checks and amid data security scandals (11:14–12:21).
- Relauch & Expansion:
- After bankruptcy, bought by Wall Street investors in 2010 and repositioned as a biometrics platform for use far beyond airports—doctor’s offices, stadiums, daily life (12:31–13:20).
- Quote from CLEAR VP:
"Our vision has long been to take what we do in airports and scale that to something you're using multiple times a day ... to unlock a more frictionless experience."
—Kyle McLaughlin (13:20)
4. Security Incidents and Criticism
- Major Security Incidents:
- 2008: Lost laptop with unencrypted user data (11:14).
- 2022: Passenger got through CLEAR under a false identity with ammunition in luggage; employee override cited (15:44–16:42).
- 2023: Someone used a discarded boarding pass and was escorted without ID verification (15:44–16:42).
- CLEAR responded by retraining staff and deploying new tech with TSA cooperation (16:59).
- Quote:
"We overhauled all of our processes and developed a brand new technology product ... able to pivot and upgrade our entire platform to address these concerns..."
—Kyle McLaughlin (16:59)
- Quote:
- TSA began requiring some CLEAR customers to show ID at random, which challenges CLEAR’s core value proposition (17:16–17:37).
5. Money, Inequity, and the Business of Speed
- Airports Profit from CLEAR:
- Airports like LAX take a 12.5% revenue share; in 2023, earned $5 million from CLEAR (18:14–18:40).
- Despite ambitions, most CLEAR revenue is from airports—their other partnerships are marginal (18:41).
- Competition from TSA PreCheck:
- TSA PreCheck now offers similar convenience (expedited lines, biometrics) for far less ($80/5 years vs. ~$200/year for CLEAR), raising the question of whether CLEAR is still necessary (19:25).
- Usage of CLEAR has dropped, but with potential TSA staffing cuts, the company could soon be needed more (19:25–20:27).
- E-Gates and Future Plans:
- CLEAR rolling out E-gates that allow users to bypass TSA agents entirely—an innovation only for those who pay (20:33–21:10).
6. Moral and Philosophical Stakes
- Citizens vs. Customers:
- Michael Sandel, Harvard, explains why line-cutting services like CLEAR evoke strong feelings—airport security is a public good, and "jumping the queue" with money erodes civic equality (22:13–24:14).
- Quote:
"What separates a customer from a citizen is that the customer can spend however much they want to buy the good or to buy faster service. Whereas to be a citizen is to accept certain inconveniences for the sake of the public good."
—Michael Sandel (23:39)
- The proliferation of "pay-to-skip" models increases the social gap between those who can and cannot pay, even when core safety is preserved (24:14–24:41).
Memorable Quotes
- David Zipper:
"It's a line cutting privilege. That's all it's doing." (03:15)
- CLEAR Customer (overheard by Zipper):
"I'm really sorry, I only joined Clear cause I frickin hate waiting in those lines." (04:34)
- Kyle McLaughlin (CLEAR VP):
"We overhauled all of our processes and developed a brand new technology product in partnership with TSA... We were nimble enough that we were able to pivot and upgrade our entire platform to address these concerns inside of a year." (16:59)
- Michael Sandel (Harvard):
"To be a citizen is to accept certain inconveniences for the sake of the public good... for certain aspects of life, we stand together, we have equal status." (23:39)
Important Timestamps
- 01:20: David Zipper describes his frustrating experience in the TSA line
- 03:15: Zipper’s insight on “line cutting privilege”
- 09:02: History and government pilot program origins of CLEAR
- 11:14: Data breach and initial bankruptcy of CLEAR
- 13:20: CLEAR’s relaunch and vision from the VP
- 15:44–16:42: Description of 2022 and 2023 security incidents
- 16:59: VP’s explanation of company response to security breaches
- 18:14–18:40: Airports’ revenue share explained by Brody Ford
- 19:25: The decline in CLEAR’s usage and government’s role
- 20:33–21:10: Upcoming CLEAR e-gates and implications
- 22:13–24:14: Michael Sandel on citizenship, equality, and public goods
Conclusion
The episode offers a nuanced look at the promise and pitfalls of privatizing public services. CLEAR is emblematic of a broader trend in American life: lines between public and private are blurring, with convenience and speed increasingly tied to one’s ability to pay. The discussion balances practical considerations—security, efficiency, revenue—with philosophical questions about fairness, equality, and the meaning of citizenship. As government services (like TSA PreCheck) become more efficient and accessible, the necessity and morality of parallel private systems like CLEAR come increasingly into question, especially under political environments favoring privatization.