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U.S. agents can seize travelers' laptops: report
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by mtippett | August 1, 2008 at 07:56 am
272 views | 7 Recommendations | 9 comments
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This is an outrageous breach of privacy and potentially a threat to the whole notion of private property. What freedoms and security are we trying to protect?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal agents have been given new powers to seize travelers' laptops and other electronic devices at the border and hold then for unspecified periods the Washington Post reported on Friday.Under recently disclosed Department of Homeland Security policies, such seizures may be carried out without suspicion of wrongdoing, the newspaper said, quoting policies issued on July 16 by two DHS agencies.
Agents are empowered to share the contents of seized computers with other agencies and private entities for data decryption and other reasons, the newspaper said.
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austrianpsycho
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carlos Restrepo
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 08:16 on August 1st, 2008
mtippett, I like this story. It's good stuff. East germany, under comunism spied on everything, they took even the smell of people into jars, that dog's could sniff them later. To seize laptops is a clear way into industrial espionage, exchange data traffic. Guess what happened to the super spynetwork of EastGermany? In 1989 they didn't know that their country was shut down, The berlin wall fall.
at 08:37 on August 1st, 2008
Yeah, I can see google engineers, for instance, being prevented from traveling for fear that their IP could fall into the wrong hands. This practice effectively puts virtually all intellectual property (private or otherwise) into the hands of the border services.
at 08:44 on August 1st, 2008
mtippett, I like this story. It's good stuff.
One country to avoid if one does like their Freedom and privacy! We may have to come up with new encriptions that the good Officers of US Custom can not break or desifer!
at 09:28 on August 1st, 2008
Paschen, PGP was a great encryption program til the government leveled chrages against the researcher that made it. Supposedly that he violated some National Security law because someone who he gave a copy to posted it on the Net. The government dropped the charges after they made him give them the back door to the program. Mind you that at the time all of this started the program had yet to be reviewed or classified.
at 09:11 on August 1st, 2008
mtpippett, an important story to post, thanks. Since 2001 the US has become something that I never thought that I would see in my lifetime - a nation whose people are subservient to a non representation government. Where it's citizens are presummed guilty until they can prove their innocence. Privacy secondary to the security of the state. And should someone dare to speak out against these actions irregardless of where they are from, they become seen as one of those against us. I can only see things getting worse. Yes, I can imagine the firestorm of words and accusations that others will level at me about myself, thoughts and loyalties.
A man once wrote this, I see iut as true today as when he wrote it:
"Any people that give away their civil liberties in the name of security, deserve neither their security nor civil liberties." Benjamin Franklin 1759
at 09:39 on August 1st, 2008
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
at 13:18 on August 1st, 2008
KARMA IS TEAM AEREAL RP 3
at 10:47 on August 5th, 2008
This perplexes me. An article of something this important to anyone who values their freedom ane rights, has garnered less than 200 view and as few comments as this has. Maybe it is time for a wake-up call for either the populace or the government. Of course, the next question would be: would it be any good considering the lack of interest this article has seen. Sad.
at 10:50 on August 5th, 2008
PS Sorry about the misspells, I think faster than I can type.