Location: Trondheim, Norway (at least until June 2017, then who knows)
Remote: No thanks
Willing to relocate: Yes please
Technologies: Python, Django, Django Rest Framework, Web development, JavaScript, NodeJS, IoT, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, C, C++, Assembly (ARM), VHDL, Elixir, Scala, Go
Academic interests: Bio-inspired computing, Neural networks, Artificial evolution, Cellular Automata, Machine learning
Résumé/CV: http://ma.thiaso.se/
Github: https://github.com/mathiasose/
Email: [email protected]
- There is no longer the paper form you filled out on the plane/prior to customs. You fill out online forms (visa or ESTA in my case) months before you travel.
- Upon arrival customs and immigration took my fingerprints and photo. My passport and ESTA were in order and I have traveled to the US several times before (and well, I am a privileged ethnicity from western Europe), and the agent didn't do any questioning about purpose of travel, accommodation, etc this time. That has happened to me on previous trips though. This type of questioning always makes me feel uncomfortable and afraid to say something wrong, so that was a relief. I would certainly not begin to argue with the agent about opting out of the biometrics at this stage.
- My checked bags were not inspected by customs. On a previous US trip I did find a notice that the bag had been inspected.
- On departure, at the TSA bag check there were the full body scanners you step into and raise your hands. I didn't see any information about opting out anywhere, though I wasn't actively searching for it. There was nothing in particular that made me consider that my face was being scanned in detail here.
- At the gate I was surprised that boarding check was via facecam. This was the first time I have seen this and I had not considered that my pictures from before could be used this way. Everywhere else and all other times I have traveled you board with the barcode/QR on the boarding card and without any ID check.
So in my experience (as an admittedly privileged traveler) the system is optimized for efficiency and "convenience", but certainly not for privacy. There isn't much information to find about what you must do and what you are able to opt out of. Just do the same thing as the person in front of you in the line, ad infinitum. I know I should be more concerned about privacy in general, but the stress of travel and anxiety about doing something "wrong" and somehow getting in trouble with these agencies make me (and probably most others) accept these things.