New electronics screening rules from the Transportation Security Administration that require separate screening for all electronics bigger than a smartphone means travelers soon will need to unpack even more at airport security checkpoints.
Previously, only laptops had to be removed from carry-ons and screened separately, but in the coming weeks and months the list of electronics needing separate screening will include e-readers, tablets, and gaming devices.
The TSA tested the new procedures at 10 airports including Detroit, Boston, and Phoenix before expanding the rule nationwide.
Enrolling in the TSA’s Precheck program, which requires fingerprinting and paying a fee of $85, will exempt passengers from the new screening requirements.
Amid growing concerns that various electronics could be used as homemade bombs, laptops were banned on flights from nine mostly Middle Eastern airlines into the U.S., but those restrictions were lifted earlier this month.
“It is critical for TSA to constantly enhance and adjust security screening procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep passengers safe,” TSA Acting Administrator Huban A. Gowadia said, Reuters reported.
A new report by the Government Accountability Office said there is little scientific basis for the methods used to weed out terrorists at airports based on their behavior at airports, Ars Technica reported. An ACLU study released in February based on Freedom of Information Act requests showed similar results.
Twitter users fretted about lines and showed their pre-existing dislike for the TSA.
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