Shapiro Says In-Flight Electronics Ban Must Be Narrowly Tailored, Transparent

CTA President Gary Shapiro is concerned about the U.S. ban on carrying on laptops, tablets and other larger electronics for passengers flying to the U.S. from much of the Middle East and North Africa because of concerns about terrorism, he said in an emailed statement. Passengers will have to keep the devices in their checked luggage. The ban was announced Monday. “CTA generally opposes bans on the use of consumer technology products in flight, unless there is a specific technical or security justification,” Shapiro said. “CTA led the successful effort to expand the use of non-transmitting portable electronics devices (PEDs) during all phases of flight in the United States. We recognize, however, that specific national security concerns may on occasion warrant a temporary ban on use of electronics in-flight. We anxiously await more detailed information on the rationale for the restrictions put in place … on certain airlines flying into the U.S. Overall, any ban on the use of PEDs in flight related to security concerns should be narrowly tailored, transparent and, ideally, time-limited.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation, in a Wednesday blog post, said the new restrictions “have provoked a growing sense of insecurity among personal and business travelers flying between America, the Middle East and Turkey, and rightly so. Travelers to and within the United States were already concerned over reports of increasing levels of warrantless inspection of their devices at the border of the United States.” Requiring travelers to check electronic devices raises new privacy concerns, the group said: “If someone else has physical access to your device almost all information security guarantees are off the table. Data can be cloned for later examination.”