Woman Says TSA Agent Started Reading Her Private Journal During Bag Search

It can be nerve-racking to go through security and have a TSA officer look through your items. The nerves got worse for one woman who recently watched an officer start reading her private journal during an inspection.

Sarah Awad, who is a contestant on the Netflix show Outlast: The Jungle, shared a TikTok video of an officer flipping through the pages of her journal.

At first, the officer appears to be going through it as part of a regular bag check, but Awad quickly realizes that she is actually reading through her private thoughts.

“Now you’re reading something I told you is confidential,” Awad says in the video. She then asks the officer to flip through the journal faster and eventually asks to speak with a supervisor.

The Video Raised a Lot of Questions

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@sarahawad__ Full video no sound 😂😭 #outlastthejungle #validcrashout ♬ original sound – sarahawad__

Awad also tells the officer, “You can find your knife, find the drugs,” while asking them to stop lingering on what she had written.

The video quickly got people talking about where a normal TSA bag search ends when personal papers, journals, or other private items are involved, as there are no real rules on the subject.

Awad did not explain why her bag was being searched in the first place or if they found anything prohibited inside.

At the time of posting, the TikTok video has over 5 million views and 6,000 comments. Many of the comments urge Awad to file a complaint and claim that the search was “completely illegal.”

TSA Can Search Your Carry-On Bag

TSA officers are allowed to open and inspect carry-on bags during airport screening. The agency also says items that are normally allowed can still require additional screening if they trigger an alarm or raise another security concern.

That can mean opening containers, moving items around, or taking a closer look at something inside your bag. However, TSA’s public guidance currently does not explain what happens when the item is a personal journal or whether an officer can read what is written on the pages.

Airport Searches Are Still Supposed to Be About Security

Airport screenings are meant to look for weapons, explosives, and other items that could pose a safety threat.

Federal courts have also said airport searches should stay connected to that purpose and should not be more extensive than necessary to find those types of threats.