Passport Security - Who Should Be Scanning Your Most Valuable Document?

[Deleted member 29185]

OK, newbie here and I'm not too sure about the differences between "General Discussion" and "Your Questions" boards, so if it's in the wrong forum board your polite understanding is very appreciated.

Statement:
I'm noting everyone O/S seems to think they have a claim to my most important document (no not my marriage certificate), my passport. Everyone from customs (obviously) and hotels, right down to mobile phone retailers for "ID" purposes. These days, it's not just a photocopy for their audit records, it's full on scans straight to their computers.

Questions:
Does anyone else consider this unacceptable?

Should I hold it tightly and let them view it only (hard to do when you're trying to check in at midnight to catch some final hours sleep), or should I just go with the flow and accept any pimply faced kid could sell my scanned passport to anyone?

Your experienced replies are much anticipated.

 

[medhead]

There are laws in other countries that require you to provide ID at hotels and all sorts if other things. Remember for example mobile phones are used to set off bombs.

You might not like but that's the law.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Remember for example mobile phones are used to set off bombs.

Yep, agree totally, which is why I'd prefer someone doesn't use my scanned passport info to buy a phone to set off a bomb with!

You might not like but that's the law.

OK, so can I confirm then, that this is in fact widely accepted as FF etiquette and I have no need to worry about it? I say this, as the phone I bought supposedly brand new in the US, was in fact jailbroken and hactivated to con me into believing that a AT&T locked device could work in Oz, which does nothing to improve that particular retailers moral standing in my eyes.......sell dodgy phones out the front door and the passport details out the back door.........what safeguards are in place to protect us, with these laws?

 

[medhead]

Well I can't comment on specific laws in the US. But it won't surprise me if people are require to identify themselves in order to buy a phone over there. In which case it is a question for the US law makers about how they secure your details. I think it is generally true to say that people of AFF follow the laws of any country they visit.

You also raised a number of situations where ID is required not just buying a mobile in the US.

I would ask if the price of your dodgy phone was too good to be true?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Too good to be true??

No, not really.....well truthfully, I had no idea

My daughter had been pestering me for a iPhone and I just assumed they'd be cheaper in the US. In my defence though, I did ask whether they were compatible with Oz sim cards (as I already knew they were multi-zone frequencies and compatible with the network carriers). I just didn't know that the US has just one iPhone carrier AT&T and all the phones sold there are locked there :evil:.

As for the price, I've still no idea, but we've now got four iPhones in this family (I love mine for business) so the learning curve was worth it for the phone