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Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Decius at 1:11 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
I flew into SFO (San Francisco) from Asia in May 2006. I went straight to the customs agent as I had no luggage. The agent asked to go through my only bag. I gave him my bag. The agent took out my laptop and turned it on. He then asked for my password He said that he wanted to verify that I had no illegal content on my hard drive... While operating my laptop he said that we was tasked with preventing illegal pornographic material from entering the United States Travis Kalanick
Red Swoosh, Inc.
Founder, CEO
These things usually make me angry. This just makes me sad. The difference is that I don't think there is anything that can be done to stop this. I think this means we've already lost. I beleive that the fact that these searches occur at an international border does not make them per say reasonable. The world is much smaller then it used to be. These searches have nothing to do with protecting national security. They are a dragnet setup in a Constitutional loophole that millions pass through every day. Furthermore, the contents of one's laptop are the closest physical thing to the contents of one's head. And the police are rifling through them at random. And there isn't a damn thing that can be done about it. We learned these lessons of history the hard way, and now we've forgotten and we're going to learn them the hard way again, and there is no stopping it. Communism may have lost, but Authoritarianism has won. |
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RE: Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Acidus at 4:12 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
Decius wrote:
Furthermore, the contents of one's laptop are the closest physical thing to the contents of one's head.
All my research notes, thoughts, and ideas are in my laptop. I encrypt it now for good reason. If I lost it at BH, that would be very very bad. But I shouldn't have to hide it as well. As soon as you have to start hiding things because the government shouldn't have the right to look at them instead of the government simply respecting and understanding that they shouldn't have to look at them, we have lost something fundamental. And thats just so fucking sad. |
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RE: Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Lost at 11:30 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
Decius wrote: I flew into SFO (San Francisco) from Asia in May 2006. I went straight to the customs agent as I had no luggage. The agent asked to go through my only bag. I gave him my bag. The agent took out my laptop and turned it on. He then asked for my password He said that he wanted to verify that I had no illegal content on my hard drive... While operating my laptop he said that we was tasked with preventing illegal pornographic material from entering the United States Travis Kalanick
Red Swoosh, Inc.
Founder, CEO
These things usually make me angry. This just makes me sad. The difference is that I don't think there is anything that can be done to stop this. I think this means we've already lost. I beleive that the fact that these searches occur at an international border does not make them per say reasonable. The world is much smaller then it used to be. These searches have nothing to do with protecting national security. They are a dragnet setup in a Constitutional loophole that millions pass through every day. Furthermore, the contents of one's laptop are the closest physical thing to the contents of one's head. And the police are rifling through them at random. And there isn't a damn thing that can be done about it. We learned these lessons of history the hard way, and now we've forgotten and we're going to learn them the hard way again, and there is no stopping it. Communism may have lost, but Authoritarianism has won.
What happens if your personal files are encrypted and you politely decline to give them access? |
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RE: Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Decius at 11:54 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
Jello wrote:
What happens if your hard drive is encrypted and you politely decline to give them access?
RTFA, they send it away for forensics analysis and they hold you until they are done. |
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RE: Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Graham at 4:30 am EDT, Aug 1, 2006 |
Jello wrote:
What happens if your personal files are encrypted and you politely decline to give them access?
Just send them to the UK. We've got laws to get around that one... (Emphasis mine) (RIPA) Part 3 gives the police powers to order the disclosure of encryption keys, or force suspects to decrypt encrypted data. Anyone who refuses to hand over a key to the police would face up to two years' imprisonment. Under current anti-terrorism legislation, terrorist suspects now face up to five years for withholding keys. Ripa encryption keys clause to get the go-ahead?
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Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Shannon at 1:19 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
I flew into SFO (San Francisco) from Asia in May 2006. I went straight to the customs agent as I had no luggage. The agent asked to go through my only bag. I gave him my bag. The agent took out my laptop and turned it on. He then asked for my password He said that he wanted to verify that I had no illegal content on my hard drive... While operating my laptop he said that we was tasked with preventing illegal pornographic material from entering the United States Travis Kalanick
Red Swoosh, Inc.
Founder, CEO
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Yes they ARE doing random laptop searches at borders
by Rattle at 7:20 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2006 |
I flew into SFO (San Francisco) from Asia in May 2006. I went straight to the customs agent as I had no luggage. The agent asked to go through my only bag. I gave him my bag. The agent took out my laptop and turned it on. He then asked for my password He said that he wanted to verify that I had no illegal content on my hard drive... While operating my laptop he said that we was tasked with preventing illegal pornographic material from entering the United States Travis Kalanick
Red Swoosh, Inc.
Founder, CEO
I can't think of anything that could destroy by mood when returning to the country more throughly. I don't think the problem here is people are thinking pre-9/11, versus post-9/11. I think the problem is that they are not thinking trans-9/11. I'm starting to feel my freedoms and liberties are under far more threat from our government, than terrorists. And this really pains and distresses me.. Every time I came through SFO customs when returning to the US, after going over my paperwork, the customs agent always say something along the lines of "welcome home" as they sent me on my way. I always replied with something like "I'm happy to be home", and left the airport with a warm happy fuzzy feeling fitting of arriving home in San Francisco. If this is the "welcome home" of today, home is becoming far less welcoming. What the hell is going on? This is the direct equivalent of going through and reading someone's papers. One thing our nation has a great history of, is coming out in force whenever freedoms and liberties are not what they should be. Many of the events that have driven people in large numbers to rally around The Mall in DC have surrounded civil rights movements, anti-war movements, et cetera. Now, I just wonder how many years before a point of critical mass is hit, and the masses come to the conclusion in concert that things are not going in the right direction. Just because this is a slow erosion taking place, doesn't mean it's going to go unnoticed and unopposed. It just means it will be a straw that breaks the camel's back... |
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