It's mandatory in order to continue using clear, not for travelers in general. They're being a little dodgy about what it all entails.
> Members will need to upgrade to CLEAR’s NextGen Identity+. This will power CLEAR’s Lane of the Future rolling out over 2024.
> NextGen Identity+ will unlock the CLEAR Lane of the Future. The CLEAR Lane of the Future, which will be rolling out over 2024, will deliver an even faster, more predictable airport experience for our Members. It will allow CLEAR Plus Members to verify their identity with their face (instead of iris or fingerprints) and eliminate the need for Members to stop at a CLEAR pod.
This is because CLEAR screwed up for years and wasn't properly verifying identity. The TSA smacked them for it earlier this year when a significant fraction of the CLEAR user base turned out to be effectively unverifiable. It's mostly unrelated to the article.
