Comments on: ACLU Sues for Records on Border Laptop Searches

By: joe z

joe z — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:27:29 +0000

Only an idiot would think the govnt would find anything useful from terrorists this way.

Terrorists are most likely remove all traces of their activities from their computers when crossing borders.. the only thing the govnt is going to find with this is your average joe and his porn collection.

By: Mark Z

Mark Z — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:45:38 +0000

I’m a Canadian truck driver and I have had my laptop seized and searched for child porn. They also searched the truck and removed any and all USB keys, portable hard dives, etc. that I had and had a look at them too.
I have been crossing the boarder carrying loads to and from the US for over 7 years, 5 of those years with a laptop. That was the first, and only (so far) time I have been searched like that. Generally, I have nothing to hide, but that felt like getting it with sand in the lube.
Now I’m not stupid enough to keep my most sensitive data on my latop (like banking and credit card info) as if it was stolen (been there) I don’t need the hastle of calling everyone to change stuff. However, the issue of lawyer / client confidenciality would be a great one to investigate and start a class action suit over. Publicity alone would increase busness I’d imagine.

By: John C

John C — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:33:42 +0000

A lot of these routines aren’t necessarily there to be effective but to be visible. As long as the border patrol *appears* to be working hard at securing their country, that’s enough to justify their present and future budget.

In fact, you can probably apply this to a lot of government official’s actions. Take for example how effective it is to bar felons or registered sex offenders from using social networks *only in Illinois*?

“Perception is reality.”

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Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:47:10 +0000

[...] ACLU Sues for Records on Border Laptop Searches The American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday that it had filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), demanding records from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) policy of searching laptops at border crossings without any suspicion of wrongdoing. [...]

By: ACLU Sues for Records on Border Laptop Searches « NWO News

ACLU Sues for Records on Border Laptop Searches « NWO News — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:17:27 +0000

[...] ACLU Sues for Records on Border Laptop Searches Posted on August 27, 2009 by pinroot From TechPolitik: [...]

By: saris

saris — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:42:03 +0000

Re; Mark C.

I am not sure what the laws are either, however, I am not sure they can reject a confirmed US citizen from re-entering the US. Sure, they can detain you and harass you. I thing they are just going to far with this stuff, especially at the Canadian border. As mentioned before, the real criminals get around this stuff, or find another way to cross the border.

Also, I believe the border stations are owned by the country they represent, so when you are at a US border patrol station, you are on US soil. (at least those not at airports).

By: Marc C

Marc C — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:10:58 +0000

Just wondering, not being aware of all the laws myself, when you are entering the country, before they pass you through, are you technically in the US, or are you in e.g., Canada, or are you in some twilight international zone? If the second or third, do your 4th amendment rights apply? If you’re not a citizen, does the 4th amendment apply? If you are not technically in country yet, what laws prevent the government from simply saying “OK, we won’t force you to show us your laptop, but if you do not, you shall remain a displaced person”? I was just thinking about that movie Terminal with Tom Hanks where he is a foreign national who cannot be admitted to the US and who cannot return to his country because they are at war, so he basically lives inside the “international” terminal of a US airport. What are the rights afforded to such a person (assuming that situation is plausible)?

By: George Walters

George Walters — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:54:52 +0000

I used to haul my laptop back and forth across the US/Canada border, containing a copy of virtually everything on my main desktop at home. No longer. I bought a cheapie little netbook with WiFi, that contains little more than a browser and some remote access software. I can log into my desktop remotely and do what I need, and don’t run the risk of every piece of information I own being handed over indiscriminately to the CBP.

By: Vince Klortho

Vince Klortho — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:04:58 +0000

Howzabout a linkie to the complaint, eh?

By: Treris

Treris — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:40:16 +0000

To me its incomprehensible that the CBP actually believes that they will catch any terrorist or major criminal this way. Anybody with even half a (criminal) brain wil just upload all data to an online secure server in the home country and the enter the US without even a laptop.
Honestly, how expensive are laptops anymore? Certainly when running an international criminal or terrorist organization you can spend about 350 dollars on a netbook or budget notebook upon entering the US?
Either the CBP therefore consists out of people who have no imagination or creativity, or the CBP and the US govt were just looking for a way to invade the privacy of their citizens and get away with it, take your pick……