More than a quarter million people are wondering what will happen to their fingerprints, Social Security numbers, home addresses and other personal information now that a company that sped them through airport security is out of business. Government officials are wondering too. The sudden shutdown of the Clear program, run by Verified Identity Pass Inc., this week has raised more concerns about who keeps our personal information, how well it’s protected from theft and whether it could be sold to the highest bidder. If Verified files for bankruptcy protection or is taken over by another company, security experts say it’s unlikely customers’ private data would be handed over to creditors or new owners. But they — as well as some members of Congress — are starting to trace the data trail. Worries about protecting personal information and the danger of identity theft cover many areas of life in the 21st century beyond travel — from drawing cash out of an ATM to

handing a credit card over to a store or restaurant. On Tuesday, the parent company of retailers T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s said it will pay $9.75 million in a settlement with a number of states related to massive data theft that exposed tens of millions of payment card numbers. Clear said it will secure the personal information it gathered, which it says it handled according to Transportation Security Administration standards, and will “take appropriate steps to delete the information.” Clear only provided information to TSA when it was part of the agency’s pilot program, Registered Traveler, which ended in July 2008. In a statement on its Web site Friday, Verified Identity Pass said that all of its Clear airport kiosks have been wiped clean of data. Employees’ laptops are in the process of being cleared. Although it was a private company, Clear had to follow TSA…

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Unclear What Happens to Personal Info With Clear