Methodology
Every fact on this site comes from a source we name and link. We put official rules and regulators first, describe every supplier the same way, and show the date each page was last checked.
Where the facts come from
- International rules. ICAO annexes and documents, UN Security Council resolutions, and the standards bodies that write passport and data formats.
- Laws and regulators. National and regional laws, court rulings, data protection authorities and supreme audit institutions.
- Official agencies. Border, immigration and aviation security agencies, and their published guidance.
- Industry bodies and suppliers. IATA, airport groups and company pages, used for what a product does and where it is deployed, never for claims about performance on their own.
- Reputable press and research. Used where nothing official covers a point. We say so in the text.
Small numbers in the text link to the sources at the bottom of each page.
How we treat suppliers
- We describe every company on the same terms: what it supplies, where it is based, who owns it and public examples of where its systems run.
- We do not rank, review or endorse suppliers. Being listed is not an endorsement.
- We report court rulings or regulator decisions about a company only when they are on the public record, and we apply the same rule to every company.
How often we check
- Every guide shows a "Last checked" date near the top.
- We review each guide at least every three months, and sooner when a rule changes, such as a new travel authorisation scheme starting.
What we do not do
- We do not give legal advice or immigration advice for a specific trip. Check with the official agency or your airline.
- We do not take a side in debates about privacy and security. We set out the rules and what regulators, courts and critics have said.
Found a mistake?
Write to editor@aviationsecurityexplained.com with the page and, if you can, a source. We check every message.