Exclusive: tougher security checks to enter US as laptops and mobile phones searched - Mirror.co.uk

You have to be kidding me. The US has done it yet again. Now there's even less reasons to visit their precious homeland. If I have my Communicator and laptop with me when I go, the US airport security personnel can copy all my files, whether it's music, photos, emails, phone records or whatnot. (I'm wondering if this concerns also digicameras, mp3 players and memory cards.) In addition, they can store these files indefinitely. "I'm sorry, what?" I hear you say.

So, when you enter a US airport, security guards take a good look at your passport, fingerprints, visa, phone, laptop.... you better make a reservation for extra two days when you enter the country. I bet it takes a whole day to enter and leave the country. I wonder if they've started to employ more people to cover some of the traffic. Also, they probably need bigger airports, who's gonna pay for all of it? I think you can forget my tourist dollars, I can do without your Cedar Point highs and lows.

Travel agents' group Abta stormed: "It's another ratcheting up of Fortress America. It's certainly not a good thing for passengers - it is rather Big Brother."

There are also fears immigration staff may mistakenly corrupt or erase vital computer details. Abta added: "We'd like to know if they're going to be properly trained to check computers and conduct many spot checks they plan to carry out."

My fear exactly.

Dr Guy Bunker, of UK-based IT security experts Symantec, said: "Hopefully, they won't search everybody's data - or we may wait in line for weeks. There's also the chance of data being compromised." He added that some business travellers particularly were now so alarmed they may fly to America with blank laptops.

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