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posted by martyb on Monday April 03 2017, @09:43AM   Printer-friendly
from the Boom-Box dept.

Will law enforcement gain the power to search laptops at any time by declaring them potential bombs?

US intelligence and law enforcement agencies believe that ISIS and other terrorist organizations have developed innovative ways to plant explosives in electronic devices that FBI testing shows can evade some commonly used airport security screening methods, CNN has learned. Heightening the concern is US intelligence suggesting that terrorists have obtained sophisticated airport security equipment to test how to effectively conceal explosives in laptops and other electronic devices.

The intelligence, gathered in the last several months, played a significant role in the Trump administration's decision to prohibit travelers flying out of 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and Africa from carrying laptops and other large electronic devices aboard planes. The findings may raise questions about whether the ban is broad enough. CNN has learned that, through a series of tests conducted late last year, the FBI determined the laptop bombs would be far more difficult for airport screeners to detect than previous versions terrorist groups have produced. The FBI testing focused on specific models of screening machines that are approved by the Transportation Security Administration and are used in the US and around the world.

Also at USA Today and The Washington Examiner.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 03 2017, @03:14PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 03 2017, @03:14PM (#488221)

    The result: a ban on laptops in the hold

    That is false. They have been banned as cargo on passenger flights [theguardian.com] - in other words no shipping a pallet of batteries.
    But batteries in checked passenger baggage have never been banned.
    Here's the FAA FAQ dated September 16th, 2016 [faa.gov] for confirmation.

  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Monday April 03 2017, @04:52PM

    by isostatic (365) on Monday April 03 2017, @04:52PM (#488264) Journal

    That is false. They have been banned as cargo on passenger flights - in other words no shipping a pallet of batteries.

    Correct, sending your laptop/ipad/camera in checked baggage is fine. However loose li-ion batteries have been banned in the hold for quite some time.

  • (Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday April 04 2017, @01:31PM

    by TheRaven (270) on Tuesday April 04 2017, @01:31PM (#488620) Journal
    Ah, you're right. On my last flight, I was told I wasn't allowed LiIon batteries in my checked luggage - I didn't realise that putting them in a laptop in my checked luggage made them magically safer.
    --
    sudo mod me up