Latest news with #LAX
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Would you give up your privacy to travel to the US? This Australian writer was forced to
Earlier this year, Australian writer Alistair Kitchen made international headlines after he was detained for 12 hours at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and denied entry to the United States. His phone was confiscated, raided and not returned until he arrived back in Australia. Kitchen says his treatment inside the customs and border protection interrogation room at LAX was worse than that of a criminal. "In the United States, the Americans talk proudly about their constitution. Those constitutional laws do not apply to people who are yet to cross the passport processing line," he tells SBS News. In February, the 33-year-old Melbourne-based writer had embarked on a trip to the US to visit friends in New York. Alistair Kitchen has travelled to the US multiple times and even lived there for six years while studying at Columbia University. Credit: Supplied But while waiting in the customs queue during his brief layover at LAX, Kitchen heard his name called over the loudspeaker. He alleges a border agent quickly explained why he had been pulled out of line, saying: "'Look, we both know why you are here.'" "'It's because of what you wrote online about the protests at Columbia University,'" he says he was told. For the next 12 hours, Kitchen says he was detained and interrogated twice about his views on the conflict in the Middle East. This allegedly included questions about his opinions on Israel and Hamas, whether he supports a one or two-state solution and whether he has any Jewish friends. "I'm laughing because just three days ago I was the celebrant at a Jewish wedding," he says. In a statement to the ABC following the incident, the US homeland security department denied that Kitchen was arrested on the basis of his political views, although it did not deny he was questioned about them. Alistair Kitchen said he documented the 2024 pro-Palestinian campus protests at Columbia University. Kitchen alleges he scrubbed these photographs from his phone before embarking for the US. Credit: Alistair Kitchen Kitchen was also instructed to hand over his phone and passcode to the authorities. Later, he says he was asked to use his phone's Face ID feature to unlock a hidden folder in his photo album. After some resistance, he eventually complied. I sat there with this Department of Homeland Security agent who scrolled through my nudes in front of me and then disappeared into the secondary room to scroll even further through the contents of my phone. "It was the most traumatic thing I've experienced," Kitchen says. 'A US visa is a privilege, not a right' Last month, the US announced expanded visa screening and vetting processes that will now consider some applicants' "online presence". The directive applies to all F, M and J non-immigrant visa categories, which will impact Australians seeking to study or participate in an exchange program in the US. It also instructs applicants to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to public. As the US state department maintains, "a US visa is a privilege, not a right". But according to Daniel Angus, the director of Queensland University of Technology's Digital Media Research Centre, it's not clear what kinds of digital activity will be scrutinised. Online likes, comments, posts and follower activity may be considered. "Social media, in its broadest terms, is used by people for a variety of reasons. When people use these services, they may be pseudonymous for very good reasons," Angus says. "It's often viewed through a lens and particularly by some politicians as 'anonymity is bad' … but they tend to overlook the ways in which anonymity is used very productively and is a form of safety for many." According to the US state department, 41 per cent of F-1 international student visa applications were rejected last year, marking a 10-year high for rejections. According to the US International Trade Administration, the number of Australians travelling to the US in June fell by 10 per cent, compared to 2024. Source: PA / Yui Mok Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at The Australian National University, believes heightened digital surveillance in immigration is part of a global trend. "Generally, countries have increasingly adopted tougher policies and approaches to border controls … ever since the 9/11 [September 11] terrorist attacks on the US in 2001," he says. In 2012, British holidaymaker Leigh Van Bryan was denied entry to the US after he tweeted via X — formerly known as Twitter — that he was going to "destroy America". In another post, he wrote he was going to dig up Marilyn Monroe, which Van Bryan later claimed was a reference to the television show Family Guy. More recently, a 21-year-old Norwegian traveller claimed he was denied entry to the US because immigration agents found an unflattering meme of US vice president JD Vance on his phone. In a post on X, the US Customs and Border Protection agency denied that claim, saying the traveller's deportation was due to "his admitted drug use". Although US visa applicants have been asked to disclose their social media handles to the state department since 2019, Rothwell says travellers' privacy is increasingly being encroached upon. "What is extraordinary here is that we're hearing increasingly US border officials are asking for passwords and are actually seeking to gain access to the actual phone," he says. If you do not immediately cooperate, that will very much throw into doubt your ability to cross the border and enter into the US. If you do cooperate, you're then forgoing your privacy. What does this mean for Australians? Ahead of his most recent trip to the US, Kitchen took extra precautions. "I had plenty of concern about going through immigration in the US because I'd heard stories already about travellers getting held up," he says. "I went through and deleted tweets about Donald Trump, for example, Instagram posts, and some of my text message apps like Signal. I had chosen not to go with a burner phone … out of fear that would cause even more scrutiny." The official reason Kitchen was deported was due to a failure to acknowledge a history of drug use on his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) — which customs officers claim to have found evidence of on his device. Kitchen has admitted to using drugs in the past, but says he remains unsure of what evidence was found on his phone. For some Australians, including Angus, this news has impacted the way they engage online. "I know many academics who have been travelling to the States, myself included, we've perhaps self-censored a bit around the things we say … possibly all of us are reconsidering how much of ourselves we continue to put out online," he says. For others, like Rothwell, the increasing surveillance has not been a deterrent to online participation, but may be to travel. Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at The Australian National University, believes social media can be used to determine whether travellers meet the country's "character test" before entering the US. Credit: Australian National University Working in international law, Rothwell regularly comments on global news events and conflicts, including the war in Gaza, and has since stopped accepting speaking opportunities in the US. "I'm a paid academic at an Australian institution. I receive government funding to do my work … so I'm not going to be silenced as a result of these issues, he says. But with tighter digital surveillance now a part of visa screenings, some Australians may find themselves, like Kitchen, forced to hand over their devices and access codes if they want to enter the US. When asked whether he hopes to return one day, Kitchen says: "I love the country. I have a whole community of people there, and I'm desperately sad that I'm now likely banned from seeing them again. "But every day, journalists, protesters, activists do make it inside the country … [so] this is not to say you'll never get in."
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Amid widespread measles outbreak, infectious traveler confirmed at LAX, nearby hotel
An out-of-country traveler who passed through Los Angeles International Airport this month and stayed in a local hotel was confirmed to have measles, health officials announced Thursday. L.A. County Department of Public Health officials are investigating two sites in Los Angeles the man visited while infectious, according to a news release. Public spaces where others may have been exposed to the infection are LAX and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, at 5711 W. Century Blvd. The person landed July 5 at LAX; the exact time and flight information were still being investigated, according to the department. The infected individual was at the Hilton from 7:30 p.m. July 5 until checking out at 1 p.m. July 7. Individuals who were at these locations on these days are urged by the department to monitor potential symptoms for at least three weeks. Symptoms include high fever, coughs, or red, watery eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They're also urged to confirm their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination status. Those who have not been immunized are at higher risk of infection. As The Times reported last month, the U.S. is in the midst of its largest outbreak of measles in decades, with California already reporting more cases of the disease than in all of last year. As outbreaks ramp up within the U.S. and internationally, the release said, summer travel can heighten exposure and transmission levels. 'Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can linger in the air and on surfaces, making it easy to spread, particularly among people who are not already protected from it,' said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer. 'A person can spread the illness to others before they have symptoms, and it can take seven to 21 days for symptoms to show up after exposure.' The department encouraged all residents to review their immunization records, contact their healthcare provider about potential exposure — especially if they are pregnant or have a weakened immune system — and avoid large gatherings if symptoms arise. Davis said, however, that the most effective preventive measure against measles is immunization. 'The best way to protect yourself and your family from infection is with the highly effective measles vaccine,' he said.
The Drive
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
It's Not Just Hertz: More Rental Car Brands Are Using AI Scanners to Nickel-and-Dime You
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The attention on digital vehicle rental scanners using artificial intelligence may have started with Hertz, but it's not the only player in the business that has introduced the technology—and it surely won't be the last. Competitor Sixt is using scanners, too, and two customers recently wrote The Drive to explain how the company charged them for damage it later admitted was already present on its vehicles. There is reason to believe Avis may also be rolling out digital inspections, too. After my last story on the topic, multiple messages landed in my inbox telling of experiences with rental car damage scanners. Some were uneventful, and others, a bit more fraught. Most stories involved Hertz and Sixt, but notably, one individual said they had to drive their Avis rental through a scanner at LAX, while another claimed that Enterprise was using a scanner at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Neither noted any problems in those instances, but these reports show that this technology may be gaining ground even more quickly than the public realizes. The Drive separately reached out to Avis Budget Group and Enterprise Mobility (which also includes the National and Alamo brands) to confirm at the corporate level whether each company uses scanners for rental inspections. An Avis representative didn't answer that question specifically, but said that 'the damage assessment process at Avis remains human-led. While certain technologies, including AI, may be used to support internal efficiencies, they do not replace the judgment or involvement of our employees. Delivering fair, transparent, and service-driven experiences for our customers remains our top priority.' It's worth noting that Avis previously tested an AI-based system developed by a company named Ravin at London Heathrow Airport back in 2019. As for Enterprise, that company was more direct in its response, unequivocally denying use of the tech. 'Enterprise Mobility is not using digital damage scanners at check-in, check-out, or in our damage review process for any of our car rental brands, which includes Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, and Alamo,' the company told The Drive over email. A rental drives through Hertz's UVeye AI vehicle inspection scanner. UVeye Sixt is a rental car company that, like Hertz, has publicized its scanners. Its Car Gate system analyzes vehicles when customers first drive them away, and then again when they are returned. A key difference between Hertz's application and Sixt's is that the latter says it only issues damage claims to customers after a staff member has reviewed what the computer flagged. But in two eerily similar cases, Sixt customers told The Drive that the company invoiced them to repair damages that were proven to have occurred before their rentals, not during them. One reader named Badi told us that they rented a Mazda CX-50 from Sixt at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. Three weeks after they brought it back, having been 'extremely careful with parking,' they were hit with a $605.82 bill for wheel damage. Badi requested proof, and Sixt responded with a photo 'showing what appeared to be a pristine wheel,' in the customer's words. Badi couldn't even locate the purported issue until an employee zoomed in to highlight the scuff. You can see it in the images below. Then, Badi noticed something: The image that Sixt was using as evidence was stamped with the date when they drove the Mazda away, not when they brought it back. This photo was taken during the initial scan to set a baseline for the current state of the vehicle so that the customer, ideally, isn't charged for any blemishes already on the car. Badi said Sixt wanted to replace the entire wheel, to the tune of $600, for damage they didn't cause. The Sixt employee they dealt with reportedly threatened collections if the invoice wasn't paid in a certain timeframe. 'I immediately contacted Sixt, explaining they were using the wrong photo,' Badi told The Drive over email. 'After escalating to management, they dropped the claim entirely. Had they not accidentally shared the exit photo, they likely would have proceeded with collections.' Notice that the damage highlighted on the later date was also present on the earlier date, when Badi first drove the car off the lot. Courtesy photos The Drive contacted Sixt about this case, seeking more context on how it happened. The company didn't provide any background, but stated, 'We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to the customer. This experience does not reflect our high service standards. In the rare event a discrepancy occurs, our team is committed to reviewing it thoroughly and resolving it promptly—as was done here in response to the customer's feedback.' Another Sixt customer named Ray wrote of an incident not terribly unlike Badi's, at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. After returning their rental on a particularly stormy day, Ray said they received an email from Sixt showing two small scratches: one on a wheel and another on a fender. 'The email stated that I needed to provide my insurance information to them or pay $650,' Ray told us. You can probably guess what happened next. 'So after I calmed down and looked at the pictures again,' Ray said, 'I noticed that the car was completely dry.' Then they spotted the date of the initial scan—not the final scan—on the supposedly incriminating photos. 'It even said 'exit' on the picture,' Ray added. The customer told Sixt that they weren't responsible for those marks, and a week later, Sixt closed the case. Transparency and accuracy are often touted as the rationale for these AI scanning systems by the companies that employ them. In an ideal world, these scanners are finding real, actionable damage and charging customers fair rates for it. Instead, rental car agencies seem to be using this tech to needle renters for minimal wear and tear that, in some cases, the renters didn't even cause—and only backing away when the errors are pointed out to them. That's the opposite of accuracy and efficiency. Mistakes and predatory inspection practices happened when humans were running this show, too, but accounts like these we've been hearing cast doubt that AI is actually helping change the status quo for the better. If you do face an AI scanner during your next rental and have a story to tell—good or bad—reach out to us at tips@
The Independent
20-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Delta Boeing 767 catches fire minutes after take-off
A Delta Airlines plane caught fire shortly after takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, 18 July. Footage from the LA Flights YouTube channel shows the Boeing 767-400 aircraft, which was heading to Atlanta, with flames visible on its left engine. An airline spokesperson said: "Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft's left engine." Flight trackers showed the plane taking off before circling back to the airport and landing safely at LAX. An investigation into the fire is underway.
The Independent
20-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Video: Delta plane engine catches fire just after take-off
A Delta Airlines plane caught fire shortly after takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, 18 July. Footage from the LA Flights YouTube channel shows the Boeing 767-400 aircraft, which was heading to Atlanta, with flames visible on its left engine. An airline spokesperson said: "Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft's left engine." Flight trackers showed the plane taking off before circling back to the airport and landing safely at LAX. An investigation into the fire is underway.
