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The saga of the so-called "laptop ban" gains a new chapter today.
Schiphol Airport and KLM (royal Dutch airlines) confirm to well-known Dutch tech website Tweakers that they check tablets, e-readers, laptops, ... (electronics "bigger than a smartphone") to see if the hardware has been opened. [Implicitly, this is about US-bound flights, although the article text doesn't make this explicit] If they suspect so, the airline is notified, who may disallow you from boarding. A spokesperson for Schiphol airport confirms
"The rule is that if we suspect at the security check that the hardware has been opened in a way not consistent with normal use, we report this to the airline. It's up to the airline to take action." (translation mine)
In the article, it's mentioned that a TSA spokesperson confirms the existence of this rule. Apparently, it's a concrete measure following the "Aviation Enhanced Security Measures" of the DHS. The Tweakers article mentions that such 'suspect' electronics are allowed in the luggage area, where "experts say battery explosions can do more harm" than in the passenger compartment (as personnel cannot extinguish fires).
Apparently, this has already caused a few incidents where passengers were stopped and denied boarding at the jet bridge due to a missing screw or "damage to the electronics".
(Score: 4, Insightful) by kaszz on Sunday July 30 2017, @03:39AM (2 children)
This policy seems to exclude modified laptops and DIY laptops or for that part any kickstarter laptop project.
We missed Soviet Russky so long. And now United Sovietsky Allied revive the traditions. Complete with hard to resign citizenship unless you emigrate to a really free country :p
Complete with humorless guards at borders, over the top "registration" and fondling, and of course intimidating woff woff dogs with handlers asking PAPIREN BITTE! Ah, of course we culturally appropriated with our Operation Bloodstone and rescue of select Unit 731 personnel.
(Score: 2) by Unixnut on Sunday July 30 2017, @11:21AM (1 child)
> unless you emigrate to a really free country :p
What, like Russia? :p (Not sure if this is irony, trolling, or the truth, and that is quite a sad situation. We have fallen so far).
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday July 30 2017, @09:45PM
I wish it was a trolling irony. But given the developments as of lately. The direction to most freedom is kind of blurred. Seems like when the system wide threat of communism died some power players got complacent and started all kinds of crap shit.