Questions tagged [privacy]

Questions about the differing expectations regarding private space, private activities, etc, in foreign cultures while travelling.

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Lots of cell phone spamming after a trip to the US from Canada. Is this to be expected?

This is related to usa - Should I use a "burner" phone when visiting the US? - Travel Stack Exchange but not for border control reasons. I did a road trip through the USA, from Canada, for ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
108 views

Are there any downsides if someone picks up my boarding pass and adds my reservation to their Business Extra account for small business program credit

I read on viewfromthewing.com (mirror): To be sure, your boarding pass still has a bar code. Someone with a bar code scanner or app could read it. But that’s not the person most likely to pick up ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
3k views

German guesthouse asking for date of birth

My wife and I are due to visit Germany soon with friends who organized accommodation at a guesthouse in Bavaria (if that matters). Now, a few days before departure, the guesthouse contacted my friends ...
firtydank's user avatar
  • 543
18 votes
3 answers
5k views

Photos of people in airplanes specifically not permitted

I took a few flights recently, and for the first time ever (for me), all passengers were told before departing that "taking photos or videos of other passengers or crew is not permitted unless ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
444 views

Switzerland - How can I prevent my ID card from being scanned / copied in a hotel during check in?

I'm going to visit Switzerland soon. I will be travelling with my national ID card (I'm EU citizen). Last time I visited Switzerland my ID was scanned / copied at the hotel during check-in. ...
Zgred's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
219 views

What personal details are passengers required to provide for travel to or via the United States?

I read on the KLM website, while booking a flight: For travel to or via United States, all passengers need to provide various personal details (such as date of birth) to the authorities. What ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
495 views

Does the German embassy disclose visa information to the country (Russia)

My wife is going to apply for family reunification visa in the German embassy in Russia (I'm on Blue Card in Germany currently). And she's worried, that German Embassy might send some visa/residence ...
Aldres's user avatar
  • 73
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is Google Street View coverage in Germany expected to increase?

Famously, privacy laws have made it difficult for Google to roll out its Street View service in Germany. The country is not completely missing from Street View however; some urban areas seem to be at ...
a guest's user avatar
  • 61
2 votes
1 answer
572 views

Airbnb ID check mandatory in France

Can someone confirm if Airbnb has made ID checks mandatory in Paris? No matter which apartment I try to book, when I click "reserve" first a screen appears that verifies my payment details ...
user7088941's user avatar
-4 votes
1 answer
202 views

Which countries/flights are the US authorities aware that I've visited/taken?

As a US lawful permanent resident, I wonder which countries/flights the US authorities are aware that I've visited/taken. Assume that the US authorities has no special interest in me: I'm just curious ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
-10 votes
1 answer
423 views

Can I see who I'm sitting next to while selecting my seat online?

I have in the past had a not-so-pleasant experience of sitting near some passengers with bad odour or who were too talkative. I was wondering if I could see who I'm sitting near when selecting my ...
Eric Hernandez's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

What information is encoded in an American passport's numeric code along the bottom of the front information page?

At the bottom of the photo page of an American passport is a bunch of alphanumeric information interspersed with right facing angle brackets (>). What information does this code contain?
JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
271 views

UK Public Health Passenger Locator Form: Privacy and Data Retention Period [closed]

How long is any information supplied through the UK Public Health Passenger Locator Form kept for, when some EU citizen travels from the EU to England by plane, as of now (or 12 July 2020: it doesn't ...
user112306's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
115 views

Data retention for EU citizens travelling between UK and EU during Brexit transition/implementation period

Context: I'm an EU citizen studying in the UK. When I travel to my home country in the EU (for example through a direct flight or by train), and then return to the UK, some of my personal information ...
rapuwepu's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
318 views

Remove Airbnb results that require upload of ID

Based on Can I use Airbnb without trusting them with my ID? it seems some landlords require ID and that this may be the reason Airbnb asks for ID. Is there a way I can filter the results, so I only ...
Ole Tange's user avatar
  • 273
1 vote
0 answers
77 views

Data retention for EU citizens travelling between UK and EU during Brexit transition/implementation period

Context: I'm an EU citizen studying in the UK. When I travel to my home country in the EU (for example through a direct flight or by train), and then return to the UK, some of my personal information ...
rapuwepu's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Passenger Name List (PNL) Accessibility

Does anyone know if a previous flight's passenger name list or passenger name record (PNL or PNR) is publicly accessible? Edit: I was asking in order to see the number of passengers on the plane ...
Jack Scrugggs's user avatar
29 votes
4 answers
12k views

Why are airline websites blocking access through Tor?

I tried opening the home pages of a few airline websites through the Tor browser and instead of the home page all I see is a low-key page with "Access Denied". Why would airlines want to prevent ...
Sparkler's user avatar
  • 1,393
10 votes
5 answers
844 views

Traveling to a country known for mass surveillance. How can I protect my data/privacy?

In the next year I will likely go to China, USA and a couple other countries. Both China and the US are known to sometimes take your electronics when arriving and searching them, possibly even ...
Syzygy's user avatar
  • 312
21 votes
4 answers
3k views

Why do Turkish Airlines gate agents at Istanbul Airport take photos of passenger passports?

The gate agents of Turkish Airlines have point-and-shoot digital cameras with which they take photos of passenger passports. They did not ask for permission to do that nor provided a reason. Any idea ...
Sparkler's user avatar
  • 1,393
10 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is it safe to roam with girlfriend in India on February 14? [closed]

Many videos and news articles of the past says that couples who roam freely on Valentine's Day, are subjected to moral policing and the media will cover such incidents, which leads to public insult. ...
Hindu's user avatar
  • 223
6 votes
1 answer
248 views

What can border guards check on your smart phone when entering USA?

I don't travel much but have heard lots of horror stories about entering into the USA. What exactly can the border guards check in your smart phone when entering the USA? I use mine a lot and it's ...
bootcoastline's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
359 views

How are laptop searches conducted at immigration/customs/border check points? [closed]

I understand that in some countries, electronic devices can be searched at customs and border check points. I would like to understand how this check is done technically. I.e., do they just turn it ...
Date Traveller's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
605 views

Why do attendants wear a body cam on China southern airlines?

On a flight from Sydney to Guangzhou I noticed an attendant on a China Southern airline wear a body cam on two of his 'rounds'. Sadly, I wasn't able to get a photo of the guy. One was about 40 minutes ...
happybuddha's user avatar
  • 8,441
13 votes
2 answers
3k views

Privacy disadvantages of 'frequent flyer miles' program

I am flying quite often, but never signed up for frequent flyer miles card. I am skeptic about my privacy. I also don't understand very well how frequent flyer miles work. With a search engine I ...
Sybil's user avatar
  • 515
2 votes
1 answer
293 views

Is there an anonymized credit card for hotel stays?

Is there a way to get an anonymized credit card for hotel stays? The reason I ask is that recently I have noticed hotels getting more and more invasive about my private life. This is no paranoid ...
Lemuel Gulliver's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Should I use a "burner" phone when visiting the US?

I'm a New Zealand citizen and I might soon be visiting to the US on short notice for business. I've heard that the US have started to frequently search cellphones. I'm not very comfortable handing ...
user253751's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

How to ensure privacy and safety in hotels of India?

I do a moderate number of travels with my girlfriend and use good hotels (with a minimum 3 star rating) to stay for single/multiple days. We feel insecure to do intimate tasks such as foreplay, sex ...
user74255's user avatar
  • 111
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

How to prevent people from reading what's on my phone when I'm on public transportation with them?

This is inspired by a question on IPS: I have a habit of checking my messages, call data or Stack Exchange stuff that I missed and other social media stuff while I'm traveling using public ...
Dmitry Grigoryev's user avatar
66 votes
3 answers
24k views

Why were holes drilled into my luggage when I entered the US?

Around a month ago, I entered the US for the first time. A couple of days back, I was reorganizing stuff, and happened to notice three holes: punched into the side of the bag I had used while ...
B215826's user avatar
  • 581
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

How can I avoid being shown in a border control reality show?

Many countries now have popular reality shows which are filmed at immigration control (e.g. Australia, Canada, and the UK). These programs film both ordinary and scandalous events, and there is at ...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
687 views

UK border crossing and electronic privacy: What do I need to know as a visitor?

One notices on Border/Immigration programs that the USA and Canada do sometimes request access to your cell phone, laptop, and/or social media information at the airport. It's also all over the news ...
Augustine of Hippo's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
637 views

What are the consequences of a US citizen denying encryption key to the CBP?

I am considering to travel out of the US. However, being a brown person, I am concerned about the recent actions of the US Customs and Border Protection. I strongly believe in digital privacy and 0% ...
Shakhar's user avatar
  • 270
15 votes
1 answer
3k views

Legality of cameras in vacation/holiday home?

I'm currently staying in a property in Portugal (Almancil) that has several Verisure cameras inside and outside of the house. I have seen the panel light up red on a few random occasions which led to ...
Matt J's user avatar
  • 153
22 votes
6 answers
10k views

Can airport security in Israel force me to provide my access credentials to laptop or online accounts?

I've read that going through airport security at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport can sometimes be a nightmare. Being asked a bunch of questions and having someone going through your every ...
Daniel's user avatar
  • 418
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Flying with Iberia, can I carry both a piece of hand-luggage and a backpack?

okay yesterday i asked a question about how to carry my passport. i got so many suggestions, that i went and bought one bag but after i showed it to you, you told me it is still not secure. so i ...
sarah's user avatar
  • 633
11 votes
4 answers
8k views

Is there a bag I can use to safely carry my passport and ID whilst travelling?

First of all sorry for these stupid questions, but normally my boyfriend took care of all these stuff, now I am traveling alone for the first time. When I go to the airport, they will put my bag ...
sarah's user avatar
  • 633
10 votes
2 answers
667 views

Carrying confidential corporate data into US on laptop/Drive/device - how to prevent data theft?

If I travel to the US and had privacy concerns (for instance may be I was afraid that a rogue customs official may steal said data) what is the current recommended best practice to avoid this?
Preet Sangha's user avatar
69 votes
6 answers
232k views

Why do public toilets in the US have large gaps (no privacy)?

Most public toilets in the US are very low in privacy, the bottom gap in the door is so big (around 15-20% of the door), the side gaps are too big as well. This will make the toilet experience so ...
Nean Der Thal's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
12k views

Are there cameras inside toilets in aeroplanes and in airports? [closed]

I was on the seat in my plane today when this thought arose. Is it possible that air carriers have cameras fitted inside planes? Similarly is it legal for governments to have cameras fitted inside ...
Angelina Jolie's user avatar
14 votes
6 answers
3k views

Correct reasons for opting out of millimetre wave scanners

Having travelled through SFO a few times, and each time been asked to go through a millimetre wave (or backscatter) scanner, and each time 'opted out' and gone for the search (in public), I'd like to ...
dsample's user avatar
  • 1,021