The American Civil Liberties Union is planning to file a class-action lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration for its “no fly” list.

Travelers on TSA’s “no fly” list are not permitted to board commercial aircraft; TSA instructed airlines to stop anyone on the list.

However, TSA will not disclose any information about the list, including what criteria places people on the list or what actions can be taken to remove them.

Understandably, TSA will not release the names or numbers of names on the list, but why can’t the administration release the criteria for placing travelers under suspicion? At the very least, the public should know what qualifies those people placed on the list to be ostracized or picked out from the crowd.

Without knowing the criteria for placing people on the list, the public does not know what TSA is and is not protecting them from. Educating the public will also ensure TSA is not abusing the privilege to maintain a “no fly” list.

Innocent travelers can be stopped and extensively searched in an airport because of the faulty technology. TSA has acknowledged the defective devices, saying the technology confuses those names on the list with travelers who have similar names.

If TSA cannot effectively execute and enforce a “no fly” list, how does it expect to implement computerized background checks of all airline passengers – as according to TSA’s plans? TSA’s errors not only wrongly accuse innocent travelers, but they also decrease the public’s trust in the administration.

The public may feel more appreciative and may be more accepting of the implementation of the “no fly” list, if they were informed of TSA’s criteria for placing people on the list. The public may better understand its purpose and how it serves to effectively protect the nation.