UK airports will now confiscate any uncharged laptops, phones or other tech devices for US-bound flights.
If you’re heading to America this summer, don’t forget to charge your phone or laptop before you fly, because UK airports are now confiscating devices with flat batteries at security checkpoints.
According to new travel guidelines issued by the Department for Transport (DfT), devices with flat batteries are a no-no if you’re flying into the US.
“Make sure your electronic devices are charged before you travel,” read the newly released DfT guidelines. “If your device doesn’t switch on, you won’t be allowed to bring it onto the aircraft.”
As part of a clamp down on terrorism, US authorities said security staff may ask you to turn on your device to prove it still has battery and is in full working order.
“As the travelling public knows, all electronic devices are [already] screened by security officers,” said the TSA in a statement. “During the security examination, officers may also ask that owners power up some devices, including cell phones. Powerless devices will not be permitted onboard the aircraft.”
These actions come in the wake of American intelligence agencies receiving information of a “credible threat” from terrorist groups based in Syria and Yemen.
The changes to security aren’t expected to be temporary either, as according to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, they are “not just a blip for a week”.
Thanks to that new intelligence, increased airport security is “unavoidable”, or so says Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. Rifkind stated that jihadi extremists are using “devilish technical skill” to evade security measures currently present in international airports.
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