Israel’s Attorney General will Allow Security to Access Tourists’ Emails at Airport

An Israeli civil rights group has been rebuffed by the attorney general in its attempt to end the practice of allowing security personnel to access the emails of tourists entering the country through Ben Gurion International Airport. Admittedly, the practice is not widespread, but in cases where certain indications flag the practice, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel wanted it banned. The rights groups call it an invasion of privacy and human dignity; the security people call it necessary “given the difficulty in obtaining information about foreign nationals….after other incriminating information is found.” The Attorney General stressed that the passenger’s passwords are not compromised. Instead, they are given the opportunity to open the account or be informed that not doing so could weigh in favor of denying entry.