4 ms·

The drive from Hawaii to Mexico must be an interesting one.

Jabbles 13y ago
Well that's embarrassing... Still, why aren't airports checking if people specifically banned from flying are trying to fly?
- mseebach 13y ago
  They are, but he wasn't (and probably isn't) specifically banned from flying.
  - alexqgb 13y ago
    Snowden says that NSA employees (and presumably, NSA subcontractors) are expected to file notices of intent to travel 30 days prior to departure, and notes that they will be tracked while they're away. He also says he took a huge risk by traveling without notice. It sounds like he discovered a (soon to be closed) loophole in that people subject to this rule aren't placed on a no-fly list by default. I wonder if one official response will be to change that rule, so that the 30 days advance notice becomes "hand your passprot to your employer, and don't expect to get it back without making a request at least 30 days in advance."
    - MartinCron 13y ago
      people subject to this rule aren't placed on a no-fly list by default My understanding is that it's nearly impossible to get a name removed from a no-fly list. It seems like a very imprecise tool for this sort of problem.
      - alexqgb 13y ago
        That's true of the list in its current form because the security agencies have (or had) zero interest in making it otherwise and because they're largely insulated from public pressure. However, having realized that this inflexibility means it can't be used to effectively govern the travel of people with security clearances, there's a very good chance that the system that was perviously impervious to change will suddenly become very flexible - at least so far as development benefits the security agencies.
    - mseebach 13y ago
      I would think the impetus is on not clearing "bad apples" in the first place and getting physical security improved (he walked off with a USB pen drive). After all, you can still trivially leak from inside the US - also, it's not like you can keep NSA employees from ever taking trips abroad, and if you have measure in place that can find people who are about to leak stuff when they put in their 30 days foreign holiday request, the much simpler solution is to just run that measure all the time.

Well that's embarrassing... Still, why aren't airports checking if people specifically banned from flying are trying to fly?

mseebach 13y ago
They are, but he wasn't (and probably isn't) specifically banned from flying.
- alexqgb 13y ago
  Snowden says that NSA employees (and presumably, NSA subcontractors) are expected to file notices of intent to travel 30 days prior to departure, and notes that they will be tracked while they're away. He also says he took a huge risk by traveling without notice. It sounds like he discovered a (soon to be closed) loophole in that people subject to this rule aren't placed on a no-fly list by default. I wonder if one official response will be to change that rule, so that the 30 days advance notice becomes "hand your passprot to your employer, and don't expect to get it back without making a request at least 30 days in advance."
  - MartinCron 13y ago
    people subject to this rule aren't placed on a no-fly list by default My understanding is that it's nearly impossible to get a name removed from a no-fly list. It seems like a very imprecise tool for this sort of problem.
    - alexqgb 13y ago
      That's true of the list in its current form because the security agencies have (or had) zero interest in making it otherwise and because they're largely insulated from public pressure. However, having realized that this inflexibility means it can't be used to effectively govern the travel of people with security clearances, there's a very good chance that the system that was perviously impervious to change will suddenly become very flexible - at least so far as development benefits the security agencies.
  - mseebach 13y ago
    I would think the impetus is on not clearing "bad apples" in the first place and getting physical security improved (he walked off with a USB pen drive). After all, you can still trivially leak from inside the US - also, it's not like you can keep NSA employees from ever taking trips abroad, and if you have measure in place that can find people who are about to leak stuff when they put in their 30 days foreign holiday request, the much simpler solution is to just run that measure all the time.