Turn on camera/computer at the airport security check - why?

February 1, 2025 1:34 AM

Last time I flew, the staff at the airport security check asked me to show them my (digital) camera, and switch it on. They did not want to examine the contents of the camera, just a quick turn on/switch off. Sometimes they ask the same thing about laptops. This made me curious: what is the purpose? Perhaps someone at Metafilter could explain this?

I would like to add that I wasn't treated badly in any way, but I realize that I would probably not learn anything from asking the security staff why they did it. That's why I turn to Metafilter.

posted by Termite to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)

The concern is a potential attacker replacing the battery in his electronics with a battery-shaped bomb, since it's well-known that rechargeable batteries and some explosives can look very similar on an x-ray. By turning your device on, you're demonstrating that it still contains a genuine battery.
posted by kickingtheground at 2:02 AM on February 1 [19 favorites]

I’ve always understood this to be a check that you haven’t removed the device’s innards and used the shell as a concealment for something else.
posted by jon1270 at 2:03 AM on February 1 [8 favorites]

The worry around electronics dates back at least as far as an apparent ISIS plot to bomb planes with them.
posted by BungaDunga at 6:53 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]

actually, earlier: the printer bomb plot. obviously too large to be something you'd carry on an airplane, but it demonstrates the general idea
posted by BungaDunga at 7:04 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]

They just want to know you have a genuine device, not a fake shell of one, with insides swapped with God knows what, probably explosives.
posted by kschang at 8:40 AM on February 1

Response by poster: Thanks for clearing it up! I've marked this question as resolved.
posted by Termite at 12:56 AM on February 2

I guess for casual consumer devices this is a fine check. But we know pagers and walkie talkies can be working devices that are also explosives (even unbeknownst to the user).

So, it seems like a bit of security theater to me.
posted by nat at 4:31 AM on February 2 [1 favorite]

Only if you are an enemy of Israel, would you have to worry about such, it seems. Though no doubt terrorists have been inspired by such... and we already have the "shoe bomber"... But we're getting way off topic here, so I'll stop.
posted by kschang at 4:52 PM on February 8