The '''Automated Targeting System''' or ('''ATS''') is a [[United States]] [[Department of Homeland Security]] computerized system that, for every person who crosses U.S. borders, scrutinizes a large volume of data related to that person (see below), and then automatically assigns a rating for which the expectation is that it helps gauge whether this person may be placed within a risk group of [[terrorist]]s or other [[criminal]]s. Similarly ATS analyzes data related to container cargo.<ref>{{cite journal|last=James Giermanski|date=June 25, 2008|title=Container Security: Is the Layered Approach Working?|publisher=CSO online.com|url=http://www.powersintlinc.com/pdf/CSO%20June%2008%20Layerd%20Security.pdf}}</ref>
These ratings take many details into account, such as country of origin, how travel to the U.S. was funded, and the visitor's driving record. Other more mundane details also factor in, such as where the person is sitting on the flight and what they ordered for their meal.
