The federal government will soon begin searching through travelers’ books at the airport as airlines test out fingerprint scans.
Next time you choose to take a flight in the United States, you will not only be given the option of a free walk through the full body scanner or a complimentary rub down courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration. Your next flight might include a search of your laptop, books, and possibly a fingerprint scan. Since the launch of the Trump administration travelers have been subject to increasingly invasive measures in the form of laptop searches and discrimination against those traveling from majority Muslim countries.
Now the TSA is testing out new measures that require passengers to remove books and paper goods from their carry-on luggage. According to new reports from The Wall Street Journal and Sacramento Bee, the TSA had already begun to roll out these new invasive policies.
“While I expect going through airline security to be time-consuming and mildly annoying, my attitude changed recently as I prepared to board a flight out of Sacramento International Airport in the days after Memorial Day weekend,” the Sacramento Bee wrote. “As I stood in line, Transportation Security Administration officials announced at SMF that everyone was to take books, magazines and food out of their bags and put them into a separate bin for inspection. That was it. A line was crossed for me.”
As the Bee notes, reading material is extremely personal and revealing about a person. If individuals know that their reading habits – whether they relate to philosophy, politics, sexuality, or religion – will be scrutinized they may began a process of self-censorship. It also presents the question, what type of reading material could be questionable or even, banned? At this point the TSA is claiming that bombs could be hidden within books and are not focusing their efforts on content specifically. However, this is likely the beginning of an incremental strategy to remove as much freedom as possible for travelers. As the Sac Bee wrote, “We need to resist the creep of authoritarianism. During the Cold War, spying on neighbors was common in the Soviet Bloc. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, people reported others for listening to Western Classical Music.”
The American Civil Liberties Union noted that there have already been multiple cases of passengers singled out for their First Amendment-protected expressions. “For example, in 2010 the ACLU sued on behalf of a man who was abusively interrogated, handcuffed, and detained for nearly five hours because he was carrying a set of Arabic-language flash cards and a book critical of U.S. foreign policy,” the ACLU writes. We also know that the DHS database known as the “Automated Targeting System,” which tracks information on international travelers, has included notations in travelers’ permanent files about controversial books in their possession.”
In a recent interview with Fox News, John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security, seemed to confirm the goal of implementing the strategy on a nationwide scale. Kelly was asked whether or not the new policy of unpacking carry on luggage and separating food and electronics into separate bins will indeed go nationwide.
“Yes, I mean, the reason we’ve done, TSA, of course, works for me,” Kelly stated. He then blamed the need for these programs on travelers who are “trying to avoid the $25 or $50 or whatever it is to check a bag” by stuffing their bags too full and TSA monitors can not see what’s inside. When pushed further about the program going nationwide, Kelly states, “We might, and likely will.”
These plans were confirmed once again on Wednesday, as Secretary Kelly announced plans for new strategies to be implemented by the TSA. “We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat,” Kelly said. “Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the traveling public safe and make it harder for terrorists to succeed.”
Although DHS officials declined to comment on specifics, ABC News reports that passengers may notice more swabbing of passengers’ hands and luggage to test for explosives. It is highly likely that the agencies book policy will be a part of these new strategies.
Another change making its way to your local airport includes the implementation of biometrics. A writer with Yahoo Finance discusses the new policies on display during a recent demonstration at Washington’s National Airport.
“Instead of handing your boarding pass and ID to a Transportation Security Administration agent, you could soon simply place two fingerprints on a scanner to be recognized and ushered through security — and then you could repeat the process to board the plane,” Yahoo writes.
These changes are part of an initiative started by Delta Air Lines. Delta has started the practice at Delta’s SkyClub lounge at National airport. Sandy Gordon, Delta’s vice president of airport operations, says the airline aims to have the strategy added to the check-in experience. Yahoo notes that the process saves minimal to no time since the process is still a part of the routine admittance policies for boarding a flight. Sandy Gordon said Delta is working with the TSA to get full approval for the program.
Yahoo’s writer said they also had to scan their driver’s license and enter Social Security number to participate in the fingerprint scan. The fingerprint and iris scans will be stored with the private company Clear. The company is promising not to sell the information to third parties, but Jeramie Scott, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s Domestic Surveillance Project, says that Clear’s privacy policy doesn’t require it to delete your data if you cancel your membership.
This is a test. This an important moment in time where passengers and travelers will have to decide if they are willing to put up with anything for the right to travel. The DHS has already begun implementing biometric entry and exit requirements for international travelers arriving and leaving the United States. This is part of the larger strategy of dividing Americans over illegitimate fears of terrorism and foreigners so they willingly give up what little civil liberties they have left.
Derrick Broze is an investigative journalist and liberty activist. He is the Lead Investigative Reporter for ActivistPost.com and the founder of the TheConsciousResistance.com. Follow him on Twitter. Derrick is the author of three books: The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality and Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion, Vol. 1 and Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion, Vol. 2
Derrick is available for interviews. Please contact [email protected]
This article may be freely reposted in part or in full with author attribution and source link.
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just curious – if this entire population of sheep refused to fly until the airlines faced utter bankruptcy – probably a national security issue in itself – maybe the Government would finally come out and admit pulling off the 911 attacks, and with a little prodding – you know, at the point of our guns – tell us where they disposed of the 911 planes’passengers whom they murdered in hangars and elsewhere. If anybody at Activist Post, employees at Langley, Hooverville, or the local Gestapo station want to know some of the addresses from which in-home Government surveillance informed scenes in the 911-loaded 1998 film “Enemy Of The State”, let me know. If all this site wants is BS………………………………………………………………………………………….
Don’t expect that to happen any time soon. The majority of air travelers are happy to put up with the so called security measure is applied. Sheep is putting it mildly.
I tried a profanity-laced posting here and Activist Post deleted it immediately. So sheep it must be.
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits! May their hemorrhoids hang like a bunch of grapes! May their privy members break off in the sows they consort with!
The auto flagging is very intense here. Anything about the J3ws and you are “pending” hell. Same with links.
The same should be done with taxes if only 20 million refused to pay them.
I saw at the Sao Paolo Airport half human half robotic policemen 3 meters tall who moved on strange motors and behave like savage bandits. They slaped passangers without reason ! Real state terror !
Maybe you should remember to take your meds and then go back to bed. Joking about this serious issue is childish. Take the time to write something intelligent and cogent, and let us know what you actually think about this issue.
Huh?
On the other bookend we have the Trump admin working to further privatize America’s infrastructure : highways, bridges, airports, etc. The buyers / investors can arbitrarily impose new fees. What we weren’t told is they can also require us to place transponders in our vehicles and present biometric verification to access travel entry points.
Facebook is “privately held”, therefore it can choose ban people for expressing non conforming attitudes.
Taking all of this to its logical conclusion completes the circle of global fascism deciding who can travel, eat, and work. We’ve been worried about a torpedoing of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. TPTB are doing an end run.
When I renewed my license plates this year the woman asked if I wanted a five year reg with a big discount. I optimistically took just two years.
You should have gone for five! It’s a helluva roller coaster ride, you wouldn’t want to get off anytime soon.
Thought I was being optimistic :-))
I got ya. “Beam me up, Scotty!” Or alternatively, “set phaser coordinates to (fill in many blanks)”.
“Beam me up hottie :-))”
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Chauvanist pig, shoot him…
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Being older the TSA generally doesn’t bother us, but none the less I will not allow myself to be degraded by another human believing they can touch my person for the privilege of flying somewhere.
My wife and I are seriously thinking of renting a motor-home and cruising around the west for our next vacation with the family, hitting the various parks and viewing spectacular landscapes first hand. The cost would be much less than flying to Hawaii and renting a home for a week, which for a family of four runs into the multiple thousands of dollars.
So, AIRLINES TAKE NOTICE; If you want to stay in the black, you will necessarily need to challenge the government for your loss of revenue when people tire of being thought of as criminals and refuse to fly.
Nah, it’s more likely that the swamp-dwellers in DC would declare the airlines “too big to fail” and bail them out, at taxpayers’ expense. And after that everyone would be back to business as usual.
“… hitting the various parks and viewing spectacular landscapes first hand.” Better do that before Trump sells them off for oil drilling and mining. That’s already under consideration by this administration. They’re going to cut down California’s 3,500-year-old Sequoias starting this year and they want to mine for uranium in the Grand Canyon.
The national park system was and is a gov’t land grab. The gov’t is not the Constitutional owners and controllers of this land. The people are. Public lands means just that. Gov’t keep your hands off.
This also means the gov’t has no right to sell to the highest bidder either.
:0
Any links?
Good for you! Now to get hundreds of thousands more just like you to smite a blow to the pockets of her airline industry. That is what it will take, a hue and cry from the CEOS of Airlines…maybe the grub’mint will listen to them, they sure as He!! don’t listen to us!
I can see where this is going.The airlines will go out of business for gen. public. They will just be kepted for the brain washed mentally challenged brain washed snow flakes to travel around and do the governments dirty work.
i do believe laptop searches started under obummer?
Yes they did, by Border Patrol, not TSA. The stupid SCOTUS upheld that all electronics can be inspected and even confiscated when entering the country, though. I do not travel with electronics (cellphone, laptop, etc.), but keep a backup of the devices on a server outside the U.S. so that I can restore to a new device at my destination if I need it. Drives them crazy.
and i believe it applies to within 100 miles of the border? i live within 100 miles of the border 🙁
You’re correct. over 75% of the population also lives within 100 miles of a border (or ocean). I have even had friends tell me of Border Patrol stops and searches in middle America. The Bill of Rights no longer applies unless you live in Louisville or somewhere central.
Yes. I believe that’s known as the “Bill of Rights-free” zone…
and i no longer fly, and have informed my siblings i will not be attending their other coast weddings, funerals, etc. ymmv.
Speaking as a American, THIS is why I haven’t visited the US in years. And while I’m a Trump supporter, I just smh as these unconstitutional violations of our freedom to travel not only continue, they even get worse. ???
These violations are not due to Trump. He’s just a muppet, reading his script. When on earth will people EVER realize that you can’t vote satan away?
Every day its just one more step closer to becoming a slave, the sad part of this is that most are too dumbed down to understand what they are giving away. Remember who really brought us 911 and the people jumped up and cheered when we happily accepted the “Patriot Act” and declared war on those evil terrorist. The only trouble is the people didn’t know that the real terrorist were the ones who created 911.
Unfortunately, I think most Americans will fall in line like a bunch of dumb sheep and willingly comply with this …. people would rather go on their vacations rather than stop flying and resisting this.
If everyone stopped flying, this nonsense would end immediately!!
and the sheeple so very meekly climbed onto those Cattle Cars in Nazi Germany too.., boycott on a You are right, unless the majority of passengers, as in massive numbers, just stop flying this tyranny will continue and worse, continue to GROW, insinuating into every aspect of our lives!
That is exactly my approach. I dont fly.
When the TSA began the sexual molestation of travelers back in 2010, I was certain that the public would NOT tolerate that abuse from their servants. Dozens of videos on YuTube documented outright sexual violations of toddlers. Yet, tragically, it was a tempest in a teapot and no one carried the torch and led us all back toward liberty and dignity for the individual traveler. Now that TSA has escaped prosecution for their crimes, they’ve become ever more brazen.
I used to be a high-mileage frequent-flyer. The first time I was molested by the TSA, back in 2010 around Thanksgiving, I was humiliated and outraged. After checking into this unconscionable practice and finding out that the criminals in charge had zero intention of ceasing the molestations, I canceled all future flight plans and stopped flying. I haven’t flown since, even when not-flying has meant driving three days one way instead of taking a four hour flight. It’s been inconvenient; I’ve been harmed economically and personally.
WHEN are enough people going to get together and force our servants to CEASE molesting us and our children?! WHEN are We the People going to remember that we have a RIGHT to privacy and Constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures?
C’mon, fellow frequent flyers: We must all hang together or we will certainly all hang separately. STOP FLYING. Just. Say. No!
“and no one carried the torch and led us all back toward liberty and dignity for the individual traveler.”
Bingo. You have hit the nail on the head. They have very successfully created a leaderless nation by killing off any bright stars.
I’m not so hard on the citizens anymore. They are victims of the most powerful mind and social control program ever done on humans. A womb to tomb narrative has created the walking dead…little critical thinking ability, lazy, self absorbed, feelings of entitlement and geographic superiority and lack of connection to the “tribe.”
I stopped flying 10 years ago, threw my TV and cell phone out 5 years ago, and have been much happier since. I have never been groped and will never stand in long lines to “give” my money for a product or service.
Let them eat eat Cu&Pb.
TSA & homeland security scumbag creeps. All part of jewmercia.
Fortunately, it still takes around a week to get DNA results tested or there would be mandatory cheek swabs in the security line. That may not stop them from mandating this “for the records”, though. My fingerprints are on record from my stint in the Navy, so even though I don’t like it, “resistance is futile”. An iris scan is absolutely out of the question, though, and there’s nothing they can do without an individual court order for every passenger. FISA is not a real court, so I don’t recognize their “orders” as valid. I don’t have a driver’s license, so scanning that is out of the question.
We have been engineered into a perception prison of belief and held in place by shackles of fear. That means we must change our “victim” mentality and understand that the so-called controllers are only as strong as we allow them to be.
They are quite brilliant in the their sociopath machinations of control, keeping humanity caught up in insignificant and petty behavior while they tighten the screws. The us/them paradigms that permeate the world is part of that. As is digital distraction.
Unable to organize we are vulnerable to all their whims.
I have personally chosen not to be treated like a potential terrorist so I don’t fly into, within or out of the US. If I wish to fly internationally, I will drive over the Canadian border and fly out of Toronto or Vancouver depending on where I am at the time. Canadian airports have efficient and thorough security checks in place for travellers but don’t sexually assault you and don’t demand to know what you are reading. The US could do away with all of these excess security treatments, if it would only stop the constant wars it is involved in. If you intend to make new enemies everyday of the week, of course you are going to suffer blow back!
I used to regularly holiday in the U.S though it’s been 25 years since I last went there. I wouldn’t go back for obvious reasons. I felt safer transiting via Moscow in 1985 than I would going through any American airport today!
“A line was crossed”?! Sure took you long enough. I began boycotting air travel when the gov’t put TSA in airports. Most people have no idea what freedom is. And their need to use this means of travel, in spite of the infringements placed on them from the time the first “TSA agent” was placed there, has cost all American’s. Because an immediate across the board boycott would have stopped them in their tracks.
Lemmings
that is exactly when I began to boycot…at the very beginning. and it isn’t going to change anytime soon!
You should have been expecting this. The next thing will be ra pe rooms if you don’t comply.
Well I haven’t flown since these “Tit, Scrotum and Ass” inspections started and doesn’t look like I’ll be resuming any time soon.
Also read up several months ago on these iris scans….They have the potential to cause Eye damage..permanent eye damage and are not approved as safe!
They are not checking which books you read. If you read books you will be labeled a terrorist. Can book burning be far behind?
I get it that they have a need to know “who” we are, but what is inside my head, or what I read is not available for disclosure. They can go and pound sand.
The next time i’m transiting through a U.S airport i’ll be sure to pack “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion” in my hand luggage.
Freedom of speech infringed in U.S. airspace ??
Bible allowed on flight…
So you think Army Training Manuals would not be good to carry? :-))
What really amazes (and saddens) me is why all our airports aren’t empty at this point. I stopped flying almost twenty years ago. What is not mentioned here is that none of this applies to general aviation, that is If you can afford your own plane (and fly it) or belong to a flying club. Remember flying clubs?