What is CAPPS?

CAPPS, which stands for Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, was a program used by airlines in the United States to identify passengers who should be subject to additional security screening. It was implemented following the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 and was designed to detect potential terrorists before they boarded airplanes. Information used for risk assessment included travel patterns, payment methods, and other data. CAPPS has since been replaced by more advanced systems like Secure Flight.