Clear Secure
A United States biometric identity technology company whose CLEAR services verify travelers and help eligible members access expedited airport and venue entry processes.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Clear Secure, Inc., marketed primarily as CLEAR, is a United States technology company focused on biometric identity verification. Its best-known service is CLEAR Plus, a paid membership that allows enrolled travelers to verify their identity through biometrics at participating airports and proceed to the appropriate security-screening process without presenting identification in the conventional manner at the initial CLEAR checkpoint. The company also applies its identity platform in selected stadiums, arenas, and other high-volume venues. The business originated in 2003 as Verified Identity Pass, whose original owners were Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani. The early CLEAR operation sought to use biometric identity verification to make airport access more convenient while maintaining a connection to government security procedures. Amlani left in 2006 to pursue another identity-technology venture, and Brill stepped away in 2008. The original company later shut down in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy. Caryn Seidman-Becker acquired CLEAR out of bankruptcy in 2010 with Ken Cornick and relaunched the business in 2012. The renewed company built its model around agreements with airports and other venue operators. Under these arrangements, CLEAR operates enrollment and verification lanes, shares revenue with participating airports, and charges customers for membership. Its airport footprint and commercial partnerships expanded over time, including relationships involving Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, sports organizations, and technology and transportation partners. The company has also developed applications beyond airport checkpoints, such as identity-enabled entry experiences at sports and entertainment venues. Clear Secure became a publicly traded company in 2021, listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol YOU. Its corporate identity reflects the company’s broader positioning as a secure identity platform rather than solely an airport-lane operator. The company has pursued patents and partnerships relating to biometric enrollment, tokenless identity verification, mobile-device enrollment, proximity-based identification, and identity-enabled ticketing. It has also participated in industry groups including the FIDO Alliance and CARIN Alliance and received certification under the United States Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act in 2012. CLEAR’s value proposition is convenience for frequent travelers and operators of crowded venues. The service can reduce the time required for a member to establish identity, but it does not replace the Transportation Security Administration’s physical screening process. The relative benefit of a paid CLEAR membership can therefore vary according to airport layout, lane volume, TSA procedures, and the performance of TSA PreCheck. The company has faced criticism that its model lets customers who can afford membership move ahead of other passengers without necessarily increasing the overall speed or equity of airport security. Critics have also questioned whether airport revenue-sharing arrangements create incentives that favor paid priority lanes. Security controls have been another important issue. In 2022, an airline passenger using a false identity passed through CLEAR’s system and was later found by TSA to possess ammunition. The company attributed the incident to human error. In 2023, two additional incidents involved people being escorted through TSA checkpoints without the expected identity presentation; one involved a boarding pass recovered from a trash receptacle. These events led to congressional scrutiny and additional TSA direction concerning identity checks for CLEAR users. In November 2024, Clear Secure introduced EnVe Pods, a new verification design using high-resolution, wide-angle cameras rather than requiring a fingerprint or eye scan at the pod. CLEAR said the system was intended to make verification substantially faster. The company’s continuing challenge is to balance frictionless identity verification and commercial expansion with privacy, security, public confidence, and equal access to transportation infrastructure.
History
Clear Secure traces its origins to Verified Identity Pass, the company behind the original CLEAR service. Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani were the original owners, and the business was founded in 2003 around the idea that biometric identity could simplify access to airport security procedures. Rather than relying exclusively on physical documents, the system created an identity record associated with a customer’s biometric characteristics and used that record to verify the customer at participating facilities. The founding team changed during the company’s first operating period. Ajay Amlani left in 2006 to pursue another identity-technology company, while Steven Brill stepped away in 2008. The original CLEAR business encountered financial difficulties and closed in 2009 after filing for bankruptcy. This first phase established the central concept of the brand but did not produce a sustainable long-term operation. Caryn Seidman-Becker and Ken Cornick acquired CLEAR out of bankruptcy in 2010. They relaunched the company in 2012 and developed a new commercial model based on direct membership revenue and partnerships with airports and other venue operators. Airports permitted CLEAR to operate dedicated enrollment and verification facilities and received a share of revenue generated by members at those locations. The company’s operating model consequently depended on both consumer adoption and the willingness of airports, airlines, sports organizations, and entertainment venues to integrate biometric identity into their customer journeys. During the 2010s, CLEAR expanded its technology and partnership base. Its work included biometric enrollment through mobile devices, tokenless identity verification, proximity-based identification, and identity-linked ticketing concepts. The company received multiple patents in these areas and worked with identification-technology suppliers, including Oberthur Technologies. It also joined the FIDO Alliance and CARIN Alliance and obtained certification under the Department of Homeland Security’s SAFETY Act in June 2012. Partnerships and promotional arrangements extended beyond airports to airlines, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, stadiums, arenas, and transportation platforms such as Lyft. The company’s principal consumer product became CLEAR Plus, a paid membership for travelers using participating airports. CLEAR positioned the service as complementary to TSA screening and, in many cases, to TSA PreCheck: the biometric checkpoint verifies identity, while government security personnel and systems continue to control screening. The company also developed venue applications intended to speed entry and support identity-based ticketing or access. Clear Secure entered a new corporate phase in 2021 when it became a public company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker YOU. The listing gave the business a formal identity as Clear Secure, Inc., while CLEAR remained the primary customer-facing brand. Its strategy continued to emphasize expansion into travel, sports, entertainment, and other environments where identity verification and queue management could be commercially valuable. Security incidents became a defining issue in the 2020s. In 2022, a passenger using a false identity passed through CLEAR’s process and was subsequently found by TSA to possess ammunition. The company attributed the failure to human error. In 2023, two further cases involved individuals being escorted through TSA checkpoints without the expected identity presentation, including one person who used a boarding pass recovered from a trash bin. These events prompted congressional concern and led TSA to advise CLEAR and participating airports to increase identity checks by TSA officers. The incidents also intensified broader debate about biometric reliability, enrollment-photo quality, privacy, and the allocation of responsibility between a private verification provider and federal security authorities. CLEAR has additionally faced ethical criticism over its paid priority model. Critics argue that the service allows wealthier travelers to move ahead of other passengers in access to an essential, publicly administered security process, while airport revenue-sharing agreements may reduce incentives to improve the experience for nonmembers. The company’s commercial challenge is therefore not only to make verification faster, but also to demonstrate that its technology improves security and throughput without weakening public trust. In November 2024, CLEAR introduced EnVe Pods, which use high-resolution, wide-angle cameras and do not require a fingerprint or eye scan at the pod. The company presented the new system as a faster generation of biometric verification, marking its continuing effort to reduce friction while responding to scrutiny over security and usability.
- 2024
EnVe Pods debut
[1]CLEAR introduces camera-based verification pods designed to reduce the time required for traveler verification.
- 2023
Additional checkpoint incidents and TSA response
[1]Two incidents involving inadequate identity presentation prompt TSA guidance for stronger document checks.
- 2022
False-identity security incident
[1]A passenger using a false identity passes through CLEAR verification and is later found with ammunition by TSA.
- 2021
Clear Secure becomes publicly traded
[1]Clear Secure, Inc. lists on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker YOU.
- 2012
CLEAR relaunches
[1]The new owners relaunch CLEAR and establish the company’s modern operating phase.
- 2012
SAFETY Act certification
[1]CLEAR receives certification under the United States Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act.
- 2010
CLEAR is acquired out of bankruptcy
[1]Caryn Seidman-Becker and Ken Cornick acquire the business and begin rebuilding it.
- 2009
Original company shuts down
[1]The initial CLEAR operation closes after filing for bankruptcy.
- 2006
Ajay Amlani leaves the company
[1]Amlani departs to pursue another identity-technology venture.
- 2003
Original CLEAR business is founded
[1]Verified Identity Pass, associated with Steven Brill and Ajay Amlani, establishes the original CLEAR biometric identity business.
Products and positioning
A convenience-oriented biometric identity platform for travelers, airports, sports organizations, and high-volume venues, positioned around faster identity verification while operating alongside government security and screening systems.
Paid biometric travel membership
CLEAR Plus
CLEAR Plus is the company’s principal consumer membership. Enrolled members use biometric verification at participating airports to establish identity at CLEAR lanes before continuing through the applicable TSA security process. The offering is designed for frequent travelers who value predictable identity verification and potential queue savings. Discounts or alternative pricing arrangements have been associated with selected airline loyalty programs and certain payment-card relationships, although eligibility and pricing can vary.
Airport identity verification service · 2012
CLEAR airport verification lanes
CLEAR operates dedicated identity-verification facilities at participating airports. The system uses biometric data to match an enrolled traveler with the traveler’s identity record, after which the member is directed into the relevant security-screening flow. Airports generally host the facilities under commercial agreements and receive a share of revenue associated with local membership activity.
Biometric verification hardware · 2024
EnVe Pods
EnVe Pods are a newer CLEAR verification design introduced in 2024. Rather than requiring a fingerprint or eye scan at the pod, the system uses high-resolution, wide-angle cameras to identify enrolled users. CLEAR presented the design as a faster and less physically interactive approach to traveler verification, while its deployment remains subject to operational, security, and partner requirements.
Controversies
2023
Passengers escorted through checkpoints without proper identification
Two incidents involved people who were not properly enrolled in the program being escorted through TSA checkpoints without presenting the expected identification. One case involved a boarding pass retrieved from a trash bin.
2022
False identity passes through CLEAR system
An airline passenger using a false identity passed through CLEAR verification and was later found by TSA to possess ammunition. Clear Secure said the incident resulted from a single human error.
Criticism of paid airport priority
Critics have argued that CLEAR lets travelers with greater financial means move ahead of other passengers in a publicly administered security process. Commentary has also questioned whether airport commissions from CLEAR create incentives that favor paid lanes over improvements available to all travelers.
Marketing campaigns
- CLEAR airline and travel-partner promotions
United States
CLEAR has used partnerships with airlines and transportation platforms to promote membership and integrate identity verification into travel journeys. Identified partners include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Lyft.
Outcome. These arrangements broadened distribution and gave selected travelers promotional or trial access, while connecting CLEAR with airline loyalty and airport transportation ecosystems.
- Sports and entertainment venue expansion
United States
CLEAR promoted identity-enabled entry and verification services through relationships with stadiums, arenas, Major League Baseball, and the National Football League.
Outcome. The initiative diversified the brand beyond airports and created additional venue-based applications for biometric access and ticketing.
Brand decisions
2024
Introduce EnVe PodsGeneration changeBackground
CLEAR sought to reduce friction and verification time while expanding the usability of biometric enrollment and identity matching.
Action taken
The company debuted EnVe Pods using high-resolution, wide-angle cameras instead of requiring a fingerprint or eye scan at the pod.
Aftermath
CLEAR positioned the new pods as a faster verification generation, although deployment and trust remain dependent on security performance and partner adoption.
2021
Public listing as Clear SecureStrategyBackground
The company had expanded from an airport-focused service toward a broader identity technology platform.
Action taken
The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange as Clear Secure, Inc. under ticker YOU.
Aftermath
The public-company structure formalized the Clear Secure corporate identity while CLEAR remained the principal customer-facing brand.
2012
Relaunch as a biometric travel platformStrategyBackground
The new owners sought to re-establish biometric identity verification as a commercial service for travelers and venue operators.
Action taken
CLEAR relaunched with airport partnerships, paid membership, and identity-verification infrastructure.
Aftermath
The business expanded into airline, sports, entertainment, and technology partnerships.
2010
Acquire and rebuild CLEAR after bankruptcyStrategyBackground
The original CLEAR business had closed after filing for bankruptcy in 2009.
Action taken
Caryn Seidman-Becker and Ken Cornick acquired the business and prepared it for a relaunch.
Aftermath
The company returned to operation in 2012 and developed the modern CLEAR membership and airport-partnership model.
Recent events
- 2024
CLEAR introduces EnVe Pods[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The company introduced EnVe Pods using high-resolution, wide-angle cameras for identity verification without requiring a fingerprint or eye scan at the pod.
- 2021
Clear Secure lists on the New York Stock Exchange[1]
Other
The relaunched CLEAR business became publicly traded as Clear Secure, Inc. under the ticker YOU.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/clear-secure · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled