A respected blog called Upgrade: Travel Better" has a scary report about government security snoops lifting information from laptops, cell phones and other information-storing electronic devices. Called "Your laptop is a suitcase: How the U.S. government is searching computers, phones, and other electronics at the border," it gives an example of an alleged incident earlier reported on msnbc.com when "federal agents" copied passwords and files from a traveler's laptop at San Francisco International Airport. If there's even a shred of truth to this, it is appalling and frightening. However, I'm not impressed with msnbc.com's fact checking, as I posted in "A Wealth of Misinformation from a Noted Travel 'Expert'." On the credibility side, there is an indication that the Washington Post might originally have broken this story. Read it and judge for yourself.
February 11, 2008 Update: This issue is gaining traction. CNN.com just released "Suit: Airport searches of laptops, other devices intrustive," a report on a lawsuit filed in federal court by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Asian Law Caucus accusing the Customs and Border Protection arm of the Department of Homeland of "lengthy questioning and intrusive searches."
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This doesn't help us the overall issue - but as far as preventing your OWN PC from getting searched I recommend following my one computer mantra:
ReplyDelete“treat all of your computers as dummy terminals."
Meaning all of your content such as photos, music, documents, and writings should NEVER be stored on a PC hard drive, but rather an external and separate hard drive, or backed up to CDs and flash drives, or an FTP site. (Preferably two or more.)
Sure a surly customs agent could find your separate drives and ask you to plug them in - but at least its an extra buffer.
I agree this is absolutely insane. The Consumerist had a recent discussionw including comments from lawyers and businesspeople - of whom are obligated by clients and company regulations NOT to share their information. Such coercing by customs brings issues of proprietary ducoments to light.
This doesn't help us the overall issue - but as far as preventing your OWN PC from getting searched I recommend following my one computer mantra:
ReplyDelete“treat all of your computers as dummy terminals."
Meaning all of your content such as photos, music, documents, and writings should NEVER be stored on a PC hard drive, but rather an external and separate hard drive, or backed up to CDs and flash drives, or an FTP site. (Preferably two or more.)
Sure a surly customs agent could find your separate drives and ask you to plug them in - but at least its an extra buffer.
I agree this is absolutely insane. The Consumerist had a recent discussionw including comments from lawyers and businesspeople - of whom are obligated by clients and company regulations NOT to share their information. Such coercing by customs brings issues of proprietary ducoments to light.
Another useless government annoyance imposed on travelers.
ReplyDelete