Does an airline have the “right” to refuse service to anyone?
This week cyber-security and threat modeling expert Chris Roberts of One World Labs was detained and interrogated for four hours and had his laptop and other electronic devices seized without warrant by the FBI, and later was denied boarding by United Airlines for a flight on which he had a valid ticket, for posting this Tweet questioning the security of IP-based networks on aircraft that commingle in-flight entertainment (IFE) data with data from navigation flight control sensors and avionics systems such as Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) data.
The incident raises important questions about the legality of Mr. Roberts’ detention, the search and seizure of his electronic devices, and the decision by United Airlines to refuse to transport him.