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The safety reason TSA might ask you to turn on your phone
TSA may ask travellers to switch on a phone at airport security to check that it works. The practice dates to a 2014 rule for travellers arriving from overseas and is intended to help ensure devices are not being used to conceal or trigger explosives.
If a device has no power, the traveller may face additional screening; if it turns on, that should generally be enough for TSA to confirm it is functional. The article distinguishes this check from phone searches by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP): at the border, CBP can conduct a basic inspection, and a more thorough one if it has reasonable suspicion. A proposed request for five years of social media history is not law.
In short
- TSA’s phone power check dates back to 2014.
- A phone that will not turn on may mean extra screening.
- CBP border searches follow different rules.
Explained simply
Airport security officers look for items or behaviour that could pose a risk on a flight. Electronic devices can be checked to confirm they work, as a device that cannot be switched on may need further screening.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) handles security screening at US airports. Its checks are separate from inspections by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which operates at US borders and has different powers to examine travellers’ belongings.
A request to switch on a phone is a check that the device is functional, not a request to read its contents. If it has no power, officers may carry out additional screening; proposals about collecting travellers’ social media history are separate and are not law.