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Still doesn't justify fishing expeditions on the laptops and cards of innocent passengers.

It might be a good idea to upload all vacation images and documents to a secure server before going back through customs.

Oh don't worry, I'm sure we pay these inspectors at least minimum wage.

This was obviously done because of his status as an investigative reporter, coupled with the topics he chronicles.

This is why we have such things as online disk space. Upload it somewhere and you won't have to worry about this sort of garbage..
It's not completely failsafe, not even if you decide to set up a server with SFTP access in your own home, but it's definitely more secure than going through customs, where they have instant access to your intellectual property because they said so at random (because your name is randomly on a list because someone in DC randomly decided he doesn't like you).

resedit wrote:

Back before the digital camera era, when developing film for a camera shop we were suppose to report any images that might be child pornography.

Digital photography makes it easier for those types of pictures to stay in the possession of the photographer, as he doesn't have to have his own darkroom.

I know you may not like it - but this isn't really anything knew, and you would be surprised what some sickos do on vacation.

Just how much of a police state will you be content with?

D'Eyncourt wrote:

resedit wrote:

Back before the digital camera era, when developing film for a camera shop we were suppose to report any images that might be child pornography.

Digital photography makes it easier for those types of pictures to stay in the possession of the photographer, as he doesn't have to have his own darkroom.

I know you may not like it - but this isn't really anything knew, and you would be surprised what some sickos do on vacation.

Just how much of a police state will you be content with?

Entering the country, one has always been a subject to search.
This has nothing to do with a police state.

resedit wrote:

D'Eyncourt wrote:

resedit wrote:

Back before the digital camera era, when developing film for a camera shop we were suppose to report any images that might be child pornography.

Digital photography makes it easier for those types of pictures to stay in the possession of the photographer, as he doesn't have to have his own darkroom.

I know you may not like it - but this isn't really anything knew, and you would be surprised what some sickos do on vacation.

Just how much of a police state will you be content with?

Entering the country, one has always been a subject to search.
This has nothing to do with a police state.

That you don't recognize this action as such is revealing as to how much you think that a police state is acceptable.

resedit wrote:

D'Eyncourt wrote:

resedit wrote:

Back before the digital camera era, when developing film for a camera shop we were suppose to report any images that might be child pornography.

Digital photography makes it easier for those types of pictures to stay in the possession of the photographer, as he doesn't have to have his own darkroom.

I know you may not like it - but this isn't really anything knew, and you would be surprised what some sickos do on vacation.

Just how much of a police state will you be content with?

Entering the country, one has always been a subject to search.
This has nothing to do with a police state.

Res,

THis is beyond search.  Twenty years ago the government would never get away with this if, without reason, they were taking your physical documents, books, cassette tapes of music, pictures from your wallet, receipts, love letters, prescriptions for your medicines, credit cards, etc, making a copy of them and then sending back to you later. That would directly be in conflict with the 4th Amendment.  This is no different except that it's even more dangerous due to the electronic nature of the data and that most people today still don't realize how royally you can get screwed if your data is misused.  In today's world, unfortunately, your data is more 'real' than you are.

resedit wrote:

data is also trivial to encrypt, and any sensitive data you have should be encrypted, whether you are leaving the country or not.

That doesn't address their ability to just take your devices without cause encrypted or not.

Last edited by jeremiah256 (2008-06-26 5:35 pm)

resedit wrote:

I wouldn't like it either - but at point of entry into the country, they do need to have the ability to search what is being brought into the country, including data on devices. It's always been that way, this isn't something new.

I'm not disagreeing with their right to search without cause.  I'm disagreeing that they have the right to also seize and effectively keep a copy without cause.

...and 5 years from now when the archives get hacked and everyone's info is compromised they'll say "Whoops! We weren't supposed to be keeping all of that. Our bad!"

This is also a good reason for companies not to do business in or to have their personnel avoid vacationing in the US. Planning on taking pictures of your family on that trip to Disneyland? Sorry, but all of your digital media that your digital camera uses and your laptop that you were planning to store the pictures on may be confiscated at the border with no legal recourse AND--as has happened in some cases--never to be returned (at least, not in the 1.5 years since they were taken in this case--scroll down to read Maria Udy's situation).