U.S. Computer System That Checks Terror Watch Lists Returns to Service, Officials Say

A Department of Homeland Security computer system that checks airline flight passenger lists against terror watch lists experienced a service disruption Wednesday night, NBC News reported, citing senior government officials.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement late Wednesday that the outage lasted around 90 minutes, and that it did not immediately appear to be the result of a hack.

"At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature," the statement read.

The temporary outage affected Customs and Border Protection "processing systems at airports of entry in the United States," according to the statement.

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The outage sparked extensive delays and long lines at airports across the country. 

A passenger arriving at Los Angeles International Airport told City News Service that U.S. Customs agents had to manually input passport information, leading to long lines and thousands of people backed up at passport-control stations. Similar delays were being reported at other airports, including in Boston, New York and Dallas.

An LAX spokeswoman confirmed the computer problem, but referred inquiries to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Customs and Border Protection uses self-service kiosks to allow U.S. citizens, along with Canadians and some international travelers with visas, to submit entry forms. The agency touts the program's faster processing times.

The kiosks are located at airports across the country. 

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