MyTSA Coming Down to Earth

The Homeland Security Department is considering developing a mobile application similar to its MyTSA app but for land travel across the Canadian and Mexican borders, an official said Friday.

MyTSA provides information about wait times at U.S. airport security lines based on crowdsourced traveler reports. The proposed new app from the Customs and Border Protection agency would provide a similar service for border crossers, DHS deputy chief information officer Margie Graves said at an event sponsored by the Association for Federal Information Resources Management.

Graves didn’t offer further details about the proposed app. If it follows the MyTSA model, it’s likely to include a searchable database of items you can and can’t transport over the border.

The CBP app may be even more useful than the TSA app because of its potential to draw a dedicated cadre of crowdsourcers who cross the border weekly or even daily at the same checkpoint.