Jason Lim leads the strategic transformation at the Transportation Security Administration. The Identity Management Capability Manager’s work is impacting millions of travelers daily by implementing innovative biometric and digital identity (DI) solutions that increase traveler throughput and secure TSA checkpoints. In addition to its checked and carry-on baggage screening mission, TSA must verify the identities of 2-3 million passengers per day at more than 400 federalized airports across the United States. Historically, this task has been executed manually by Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) by comparing the passenger with the photo on the passenger’s identity document (e.g., driver’s license, passport) and cross-checking that with the passenger’s boarding pass.
In fall 2018, Lim led TSA’s effort building a strategic roadmap to explore automation of these repetitive and resource-intensive tasks, namely through the integration of biometrics (e.g., facial recognition) and digital identity solutions into the security checkpoint. The strategy articulated a collaborative, biometric vision for TSA and its aviation security partners. Using new and emerging technologies, Lim and his team have aimed to significantly enhance security effectiveness, streamline operations, and transform the passenger experience while preserving passenger privacy and civil liberties. These goals and objectives were restated and amplified in the release of TSA’s 2022 Identity Management Roadmap.
Through all of his work he also provides an incredibly important mission in social media: correcting and explaining areas of reporting that “get it wrong” or mischaracterize the agency’s activity. On LinkedIn in particular he often posts lengthy explanations and corrections about how things are just a bit different than characterized in the news. For that alone he is a trailblazer in using social platforms to ensure the facts are out. (Follow him on LinkedIn to find out more!)
Lim’s work approach focuses on measuring technical excellence by not only how well it solves initial stakeholder problems but by anticipating its impact and relevancy to long-term transportation security, thereby extending the impact of the government’s investment. His technical acumen, desire to constantly improve user experience, stakeholder engagement proficiency, and commitment to fostering inclusivity in developing secure standards-driven technology set him apart. His accomplishments are evident in his ability to deliver transformative solutions that are helping airlines and airports resume and improve operations. Lim saw early on the value these solutions could bring to TSA and focused his team on piloting these technologies, which bolster TSA’s ongoing efforts to streamline the traveler experience. Further, as air travel continues to resume and recover, TSA and its partners must continue to be ready to adopt new technology, such as mDLs and DIs, as adoption and use of these credentials rapidly grows. With projected adoption rates of over 50 percent in the next 10 years, Lim honors TSA’s commitment to the president’s December 2021 Executive Order on improving customer experience and service delivery for the American people. His coalition- and consensus-building approach on the federal side enables him to constructively engage with industry stakeholders in both commercial aviation and the technology sector to make measurable progress on shared public-private sector priorities.