Via iStockphoto / @sarahawad__ TikTok
A woman recorded a TSA agent reading through her personal journal. Can they really go through your personal belongings?
A woman’s TSA (Transportation Security Administration) encounter turned confrontational after an agent decided to go through her personal journal. Viewers believe she may have a lawsuit on her hands. Are they right?
In a viral video with 4.5 million views, user Sarah Awad (@sarahawad__) captured the moment TSA agents went through her journal, page-by-page.
“Now you’re reading something I told you is confidential,” the woman says to the agent while recording.
She also encourages the worker to flip through the journal faster, instead of slowly looking at every single page.
By the end of the clip, the woman is clearly frustrated. She also asks for a manager or boss.
“You can find your knife, find the drugs,” she says. “Like, find what you are trying to find.”
It is unclear from the video whether or not the agent actually found anything suspicious.
Can TSA Go Through Your Personal Belongings?
It should come as no surprise that TSA can thoroughly rummage through your belongings. Per the TSA site, the agency “screens approximately 3.3 million carry-on bags for explosives and other dangerous items daily.”
The website further explains that personal electronic devices must be removed from carry-on and into a bin with nothing in it.
It also indicates that food generally can remain in carry-on bags.
However, it does not say anything about reading through a person’s personal items or journals.
Still, there have been instances of passengers questioning whether or not TSA can access electronic information.
According to Aeroxplorer.com, the TSA cannot go through your phone and read your private messages.
What Did The TSA Do?
The TSA was created right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
It is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, and its scope includes “commercial and general aviation; mass transit systems; freight and passenger rail; highways, pipelines and ports.”
The whole purpose of the agency is to screen for weapons, explosives, or other dangerous threats.
It should not read through personal items.
‘Power Trip’
In the video’s comments section, many urged the woman to take action against the worker.
“File a complaint, that’s completely illegal,” one viewer said.
“This is an actual Fourth Amendment violation. They’re government, you’re being searched to an unreasonable degree – very clear-cut,” another wrote.
Others felt like the TSA agent was being spiteful.
“She’s got a power trip going on,” user @babybee756 said.
“She tryna antagonize you,” user @mikejoell agreed.
@sarahawad__ Full video no sound 😂😭 #outlastthejungle #validcrashout
BroBible reached out to Sarah and the Transportation Security Agency via email for comment.