Apr 23rd, 2008 | Tech survey

Should US customs be allowed to go through people's laptop files at airports and border checkpoints?


In the wake of February's news that customs agents were seizing electronics and making copies of all the files on cell phones and laptop hard drives, a federal appeals court has ruled on the legality of such searches. The result: Yeah, customs can do whatever it wants to your computer when you come across the border, without a warrant, and without cause. (Read more on Yahoo! Tech's The Working Guy)


Should TSA be allowed to go through peoples laptop files at airports and border checkpoints?


1,350 votes, 5,192 views , 33 comments
 
 
 
 
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Comments (33)
(Reply)
posted May 13th, 2008 at 20:33 CDT

The notion that this can be justified because it may yield terrorist suspects (unlikely, they read the papers, too, you know) is, or should be, insulting to Americans, whose forebears fought and died to resist treatment like this.  Memo to customs agents: the next time you put on a uniform that has an American flag as its shoulder patch, try to remember what that flag stands for.............

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posted May 13th, 2008 at 18:47 CDT

Well, said. One more thing: smile at them when the are searching you - they won't know what to make of you.

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posted May 13th, 2008 at 18:44 CDT

You're not too good with computers, are you? Your "scheme" could be by-passed in about 10 seconds. Less if they know even a little bit about PCs.

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posted May 13th, 2008 at 18:42 CDT

I have big internet muscles and am not afraid to flame people. In person, I'm a frickin' wimp. As are almost all of you.

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posted May 13th, 2008 at 18:37 CDT

WTF? This topic is one for the ACLU and everyone of us Americans. Not withstanding our good neighbors to the north and south, but as citizens we should have the right not to be illegally searched if we are on american soil. If customs searches us, then it would be on american soil to which we as citizens have rights. Thanks George, another blunder in giving away our rights. For all of us out there, encrypt everything and plead the 5th, you don't have to self-incriminate yourself into giving up a password. Why do you think the courts are 'MUM" on the that? lmao, I hope everyone shares that important piece of info. They can get through windows or linux, unix ect passwords, but let them try encrypted files at over 3068k. heh heh. I don't care how legal my stuff is, or how completely honest my pictures of my family are, they are not the feds business to know. We are Americans, respect that and do your friggin job the old fashioned way and know that people served this country long before most of you did.

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posted May 4th, 2008 at 20:13 CDT

That is exactly what they want you to think.  they use fear of terrorism to sell the American people these ideas of safety that are really systems of control.  Soon we will all be walking around with chips implanted in us that have every single piece of information about us including keeping track of our money.  And if you act up they will turn it off and then what will you do?

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posted Apr 30th, 2008 at 17:43 CDT

Pull the hard drive and store it somewhere else. Or let your battery completely drain. Or in my case, I will have a second hard drive just completely full of random information, or maybe all virus hard drive. Let them copy that!

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posted Apr 30th, 2008 at 12:10 CDT

The easy way around this would be to create a limited account with in windows that does not have access to windows explorer or other sensitive areas. Then create several bogus dummy excel and or word documents under this log on. Then prior to crossing the border turn off fast user switching abd log on and off to the bogus account so it is the one in the log on screen.

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posted Apr 30th, 2008 at 10:15 CDT

MARCH IN D.C. JULY 12TH TO SHOW WE ARE FOR FREEDOM AND THE CONSTITUTION!!!!!!!!!!  http://www.revolutionmarch.com  14,000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY PLEDGED TO BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!  http://www.revolutionmarch.com

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posted Apr 30th, 2008 at 09:42 CDT

I think we should all just implant viruses into our computers so if they copy our data, we can own their system.

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 22:27 CDT

fucking rediculous

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 20:02 CDT

BS!

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 19:43 CDT

It figures! your a fuckin idiot! Let me see your bank account cum chugger! I want to see all of your financial statements.

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 19:40 CDT

Your name says it all! When they bend you over and stick it in your ass deeper you'll think twice! You might enjoy it you fuckin retard!

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 19:38 CDT

The goverment can stay out of our business. I like to see washington get attacked next! Who the fuck do these people think they are? We put them in power and we can take them out!

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 19:32 CDT

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are slaves to this goverment. We need people to stand up to these Pigs!

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 19:30 CDT

Fuck this country and fuck the Feds. This country and it's people are giving up all of there freedom and America better wake up! This fuckin counrty the good ol usa and the people in it are sheep going to the slaughter. Fuck the goverment!

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 17:24 CDT

Nazi-USA, stormtroopers, scapegoats and all. I don't advocate nuking that perverted country, just raising prices so they can't afford to live on this planet earth.

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 15:57 CDT

They had whatever it took to begin with as they would not have needed to violate a single americans civil liberties to catch Osama prior to 9/11.  We got sold out.  Even tho WTC didn't come down by our hands, out govt was more then willing to get everyone to give up rights for something that has shown no proof of working for us.  Cite all the they caught this or this but they could have done all that and have stoped 9/11 without the patriot act.  They needed 1 thing after 9/11 the departments needed to talk to one another.  Just like the Zodiac killer.  No one needed to loose rights they dang police just needed to talk to one another.  Share notes and catch the guy.  To little to late now and how many dead becasue of arrogance?

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posted Apr 29th, 2008 at 15:53 CDT

This is more PURE EVIL by the federal-mafia criminal godvernment. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Fed-mafia thugs must show ALL their electronic files first. Then, I'll consider showing mine. This is NOT about terrorism. This is about SLAVE conditioning. Period.

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