The daughter of US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched a fierce public critique of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), branding a security pat-down she received as "absurdly invasive" and claiming the ordeal nearly caused her to miss a flight.
Pregnancy and Pat-Downs: A Confrontation at Security
On Thursday 18 December 2025, Evita Duffy-Alfonso took to social media platform X to detail her experience at an airport security checkpoint. She explained that, being pregnant, she declined to pass through the TSA's body scanning technology due to concerns about radiation exposure.
This decision led to a 15-minute wait for an alternative physical screening. "I nearly missed my flight this morning after the TSA made me wait 15 minutes for a pat-down because I’m pregnant and didn’t feel like getting radiation exposure from their body scanner," Duffy-Alfonso wrote.
She accused the TSA agents involved of being "passive-aggressive, rude" and attempting to pressure her and another pregnant woman into using the scanner, which they claimed was safe. "After finally getting the absurdly invasive pat-down, I barely made my flight," she stated.
Technology, Health, and the Right to Opt-Out
The TSA uses millimetre wave advanced imaging technology to screen passengers for concealed threats. The agency maintains that this technology, which employs non-ionising radio-frequency energy similar to that used by mobile phones, has no known adverse health effects and meets all national safety standards.
A TSA spokesman told The Independent: "We are aware of the incident in question. TSA takes complaints about airport security screening procedures seriously and investigates complaints thoroughly to ensure the correct procedures are applied."
Officially, passengers do have the right to opt out of the body scanner for a pat-down. However, Duffy-Alfonso's account suggests the practical application of this policy can lead to delays and friction.
Broader Critiques: Biometrics, Freedom, and the 'Golden Age'
Duffy-Alfonso's criticism extended beyond the single incident. She contrasted her experience with services like CLEAR, a private company that uses facial biometrics to expedite identity verification. "Perhaps things would have gone more smoothly if I’d handed over my biometric data to a random private company," she remarked sarcastically.
Invoking author George Orwell and his dystopian novel 1984, she questioned the state of modern travel. "Is this freedom?" she asked, linking convenience to the surrender of personal data.
She concluded with a direct jab at her father's department's recent initiative: "The 'golden age of transportation' cannot begin until the TSA is gone." This references a November push by the Transportation Department to "restore courtesy and class to air travel," a campaign Secretary Duffy has personally associated with passengers dressing more formally for flights.
The incident sparked debate online. While one user suggested she contact her father, Duffy-Alfonso clarified that the TSA falls under the Department of Homeland Security, run by Kristi Noem, not the Department of Transportation. Another commenter advised better time management, to which Duffy-Alfonso responded that she had arrived 1 hour and 10 minutes before her flight. Official guidance typically recommends two hours for domestic travel.
