On March 31st the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued the following communication:

“We don’t prohibit public, passengers or press from photographing, videotaping, or filming at screening locations. You can take pictures at our checkpoints as long as you’re not interfering with the screening process or slowing things down. We also ask that you do not film or take pictures of our monitors.

However… while the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might. Your best bet is to call ahead and see what that specific airport’s policy is.”

This is what we have been suspecting all along, that in fact there are NO REGULATIONS or laws that prohibit photography of airports and that includes the security checkpoints. As for the disclaimer about local and state laws, well we know of no such laws in New York. If anyone knows of any state or local laws that apply feel free to communicate with us and we will post the information. In fact in most cases where a photographer was harassed at an airport local law enforcement blamed the TSA – well that excuse has now been debunked.

We also note the following commentary that we found in a blog entitled Flying with Fish:

The problems related to photographing TSA checkpoints has always seemed a little bit odd from a security standpoint. There is nothing to stop someone from performing surveillance by standing and watching multiple security checkpoints for hours and claim they are waiting for someone. There is nothing to stop someone doing surveillance work from buying a ticket then passing through security multiple times in a single day on that same boarding pass (much like how experienced airport thieves operate). Photographs of security procedures creates a static image, while careful observation and testing the system is more fluid and often undetectable, which poses a more significant security risk and returns a more significant piece of data to someone who is interested in created a diagram of how the system works.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Harassing photographers has accomplished nothing more than to create unnecessary animosity between the photographers and the authorities. In fact a hobbyist who has an intense interest in a particular mode of transportation be it railroading or aviation can be a very valuable resource. After all they know when something is really suspicious or may be out of place. They can serve as a second set of eyes and ears and should be embraced rather than confronted.

One Response to “TSA Does NOT Prohibit Pictures of Security Checkpoints”