A question has been raised about the effectiveness of private screeners in performing the job of the Transportation Security Administration. This issue stems from past events where private screeners failed to prevent security breaches. The failure of private screeners to detect and stop hijackers on September 11, 2001, is cited as a key example.

This incident led to the creation of the federal Transportation Security Administration. Further information on this topic is available from the Chicago Tribune, which explores the capabilities of private screeners in comparison to the TSA.