Fitch

There's a sound principle in security / intel / military circles which is to always impose a cost on the enemy (financial, manpower, discovery whatever) for obtaining any information about your operation.

I think any reasonable person would accept that the immigration hall and security lanes are sensitive areas in this context, and furthermore that 10 minutes of video is worth a thousand recces with Mk 1 eyeball. Hence the common prohibition on pictures and filming (and an indirect reason for banning the use of mobile phones). It's just one of those things that goes with flying unfortunately.

In terms of the staff behaviour, at the point he took your passport and made the comments, in a similar situation I would be whipping out my trusty little black book and starting to write. When dealing with civilian staff, politely stating that you are making a contemporaneous account of names, times, events etc. can be an amazingly efficient attitude adjuster I should point out that I would not recommend this approach with cops, border agents etc.

Personally I think the implementation of e-gates at the Border is a national disgrace. But sadly citizen journalism is not going to work in this case...

nallison

An interesting future lies ahead as the generations who have grown up with social media, and conduct their entire lives through a screen, reach adulthood.

I've seen it said by psychologists/sociologists we're essentially conducton a mass experiment on the human brain. And it is unlikely to end well as it really wasn't designed for this kind of sudden shift in how it relates to the world and he amout of information it is asked to process. I'm in the in-between stage as a 35 year old where I grew up without it, but it arrived when I was young enough to adapt to it. I do fear when I see how people 10 years my junior seem to see their lives as merely a means to maintaining their social media presence.

Of course, other generations can be just as bad. What really irritates me is people plastering their children all over social media. These kids have not given permission for this and I really find it quite uncomfortable,I'm glad my sister keeps heer kids well off it all for their privacy. Some people have a warped idea about how interested anyone outside their immediate family/friends are in their kids...just send them pics on WhatsApp.

beachmouse

And then ICE itself has started to push US citizens to download the Mobile border app for their phone and use it at participating points of entry in the name of getting low risk/low interest arrivals processed through the rat's maze quicker. So there's a fading of what used to be hard and fast 'no phones' rule in some places.

710 77345

If the border is only effective as long as the bad guys haven’t videoed it and analysed the set-up, the UK hasn’t set up an effective border control process.

KeaneJohn

Quite often on Twitter you will see pictures/videos of queues at Border Control especially on a Sunday evening at Uk airports.. mostly Heathrow and T5 if I was to hazard a guess from disgruntled people trying to shame the airport operators on the lacklustre service.

What annoys me me is the safety/security card gets pulled on you like a threat if you have a grumble about some things at airports .. where’s the I’m just giving feedback about this shambles...

itsmeitisss

But why not speak to a member of staff politely before moaning about it on social media. People who overescalate too early damage the use of social media as a form of issue escalation for everyone. It leads to weariness which leads to people getting apathetic.

I asked a member of staff and was given the reason that Globaliser and others gave you.

Saltire74

You would be surprised at the information that can be gleaned from a seemingly innocuous photo by some nefarious individuals or groups.

S

beachmouse

That would require finding an employee that isn't otherwise busy with other job responsibilities. Which isn't always an easy thing.

itsmeitisss

In my experience there is always someone in a purple coat guiding people. While they are employed by the airport and not by BF they would have a good idea of the answer.

erik123

In many countries there is no law against it.

Under UK law I understand that the airport operator can restrict filming is you are on private property. I also think police can ask you to stop filming but are not able to view/delete video or take your equipment.

skipness1E

You mean it's not currently secure, and if not, perhaps they should secure it?
My main issue with HAL in this space is the Purple Blazer brigade. One's welcome to the UK seems to have English as a second language, and ironically given the subject matter, spends way too much time on their phones.

Greenpen

In a world where you can easily follow flying aeroplanes, knowing their route, height, speed etc then a picture of a few unused passports desks seems small beer as regards to security!

KARFA

Ancient Observer

I am Ancient. My reaction to only having 3 electric gates open is to mutter, swear FFS to myself, and then people watch. I am too old to think about taking a video.
People watching at Border points is nearly as much fun as people watching in FF lounges.
There is always one individual or group who just want to push in. There is always a self-important business lady, (sometimes a man) who just HAS to get through before you. There is normally someone talking on their mobile with the loudspeaker on.

Sixth Freedom

There is no doubt in my mind that many people really do believe this to be true. I wonder if there is any evidence that this view is sound?

Back in the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries lots of people would also really have believed that there was a legitimate reason to worry about foreign spies taking pictures of bridges, churches in the Kremlin and so on. In the west we have always had a laugh about this as we know it was just paranoia and simply not true. And I suspect that the same is true these days with airport "security". I believe that in the future we will laugh at the paranoia around today.