--- description: The TSA is testing some screening procedures that include the removal of books and food from bags. title: Privacy Advocates Warn About Airport Security Book Searches image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84f9ac4fa5cf4dab/6988d341196cf484c5040c41/gettyimages-630472126.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Security](/tag/security/) ## Security Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Privacy Advocates Warn About Airport Security Book Searches by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 14, 2023 9:36 PM CUTPublished: Jun 26, 2017 2:47 PM CUT  A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer checks a traveler's bag at a screening location at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016\. Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer checks a traveler's bag at a screening location at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016\. Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 14, 2023 9:36 PM CUTPublished: Jun 26, 2017 2:47 PM CUT Privacy advocates are sounding the alarm after security officials at some airports have been inspecting passengers’ books and other paper materials. “Books raise very special privacy issues,” wrote American Civil Liberties Union Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley in a [recent blog post](https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-future/new-tsa-policy-may-lead-increased-scrutiny-reading-material "undefined"). “There is a long history of special legal protection for the privacy of one’s reading habits in the United States, not only through numerous Supreme Court and other court decisions, but also through state laws that criminalize the violation of public library reading privacy or require a warrant to obtain book sales, rental, or lending records.” In late May, the Sacramento Bee [reported](http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article153673544.html "undefined") on paper screenings at the Sacramento airport. A similar screening was [tested](http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article148384019.html "undefined") at the Kansas City International Airport in May, but the procedure was stopped shortly thereafter. TSA officers at the two locations asked passengers to remove books and magazines for screening, but the initiatives are no longer in place, according to officials. “Earlier this year, TSA tested procedures that called for books being separated from other items during x-ray screening,” TSA said in a statement to TIME. “This test protocol was designed so operators could have a clearer view of carry-on baggage at checkpoints. Like many tests TSA performs at checkpoints around the country, we collected valuable data but, at this time, are no longer testing or instituting these procedures.” **Correction:** The original version of this story incorrectly described the screening of paper books at U.S. airports. The TSA says those screenings have stopped, they are not ongoing at several airports. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4832616/airport-security-books-tsa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4832616/airport-security-books-tsa/"},"headline":"Privacy Advocates Warn About Airport Security Book Searches","datePublished":"2017-06-26T14:47:17.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-14T21:36:51.000Z","description":"The TSA was testing the new procedure","url":"https://time.com/4832616/airport-security-books-tsa/","keywords":["Security","TSA","privacy","airport security"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84f9ac4fa5cf4dab/6988d341196cf484c5040c41/gettyimages-630472126.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84f9ac4fa5cf4dab/6988d341196cf484c5040c41/gettyimages-630472126.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Travelers At Salt Lake City International Airport Ahead Of Holiday Weekend","caption":"Travelers At Salt Lake City International Airport Ahead Of Holiday Weekend","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/security/","name":"Security"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4832616/airport-security-books-tsa/","name":"Privacy Advocates Warn About Airport Security Book Searches"}}]}] ```