Invasion of privacy (1 Viewer)

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Tapxe

Tapxe

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https://news.vice.com/story/how-to-secure-your-phone-when-crossing-the-border

Privacy advocates and lawyers are advising travellers to wipe their phones of all data when crossing the U.S. border following a number of new reports of border agents seizing mobile devices and demanding passwords.

This week, American customs agents seized the phone of a NASA employee and U.S. citizen and demanded his PIN. In November, Canadian photojournalist Ed Ou had his phone confiscated by border agents, who told him to unlock it, and questioned him for six hours when he refused. Two Moroccan Canadians were denied entry into the U.S. this month, but only after agents had rifled through their phones.

The issue could get worse, if a proposal from Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to demand the social media passwords of some travellers becomes reality.

Growing uncertainty over the rules is putting the onus on people to protect themselves. Here’s how.
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IDK if this or civil asset forfeiture scares me more.
 
Every day there is a new story about how we're teetering on the edge of no longer being a free country. This stuff scares the **** out of me.
 
Sure, it's a little inconvenient but it's not a big deal. If you have nothing to hide, I don't see the problem. Just answer their questions, be compliant. Your privacy (or time or inconvenience, etc.) Is not more impotent than all of our safety.



This is what we've been telling black people for ages. No one on here has had to deal with aggressive custom agents yet, but just the mere idea of going along with this has already drawn many red thumbs. Oh, how context changes viewpoints. This may actually effect me directly, therefore, I should be concerned. I've seen the "if you're not doing anything wrong" sentiment expressed so often on this board. What does it say about us? It's okay as long as it's someone else's rights that are being infringed upon. Just because you're not doing anything wrong, it doesn't mean you want some meathead looking at pics of your wife's boobs...or searching you car...or asking where you're going or questioning ANYTHING you as a citizen have the right to, including privacy and autonomy.

Wish we'd stop being picky about defending civil liberties.
 
I'm glad you clarified, dc, and I apologize that one of those red thumbs is mine. I was taken in, and was thinking damn, that's what people always say until it happens to them.
 
livefromDC said:
Sure, it's a little inconvenient but it's not a big deal. If you have nothing to hide, I don't see the problem. Just answer their questions, be compliant. Your privacy (or time or inconvenience, etc.) Is not more impotent than all of our safety.



This is what we've been telling black people for ages. No one on here has had to deal with aggressive custom agents yet, but just the mere idea of going along with this has already drawn many red thumbs. Oh, how context changed viewpoints. This may actually effect me directly, therefore, I should be concerned. I've seen the "if you're not doing anything wrong" sentiment expressed so often on this board. What does it say about us? It's okay as long as it's someone else's rights that are being infringed upon. Just because you're not doing anything wrong, it doesn't mean you want some meathead looking at pics of your wife's boobs...or searching you car...or asking where you're going or questioning ANYTHING you as a citizen have the right to, including privacy and autonomy.

Wish we'd stop being picky about defending civil liberties.
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Yeah, I thought the sarcasm was pretty clear on your initial post, but I guess in times like these that stuff can't be assumed

But these civil liberties are just aping our inconsistencies with religious liberties
19th century: yeah, not so much with the Catholics
Early 20th century: yeah, not so much with the Jews
Today: blahblah muslims

We continue to refuse to learn the lessons of history
 
guidomerkinsrules said:
We continue to refuse to learn the lessons of history
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doomed-to-repeat-it-anyway.jpg
 
This has been happening for years at the borders, it isn't something new. Supreme court ruling in 1997 that warrants aren't required when crossing the border... which makes it pretty much standard place for them to ruffle through your belongings if they suspect anything - to include your electronic devices. Here's an article about it:

http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/supreme-court-phone-warrant-us-border/

my question is - why just now become concerned about this? It's been a concern to an extent for a while. My personal opinion is that they should only be checked when there is reasonable suspicion, not just because the agents feel like it. Don't really mind the lack of a warrant at the border, I understand the need for warrantless searches at the borders but I do feel like there should be reasonable suspicion.

As for the folks who suddenly are now bothered by this - ask yourself, where was the press coverage like this previously? I understand during Clinton's administration and even the majority of Bush's - electronic devices weren't the cornerstone of the majority of people's lives, didn't hold everything about us. The latter portion of his administration they started to, throughout Obama's they were, and now under Trump more and more people use their phones for everything personal about themselves. There likely will come a case sometime soon that makes it more difficult to search these devices, but from what I gather through my social media feeds and may hold true here - many are blaming this on Trump's policies which is inaccurate (6500 electronic devices seized between 2008 and 2010). His policies didn't start this, but definitely aren't stopping it either.

Until that happens, international travelers concerned about their privacy at border crossings may want to heed the warning circuit court Judge Edward Korman, who wrote in a recent ruling affirming CBP’s ability to warrantlessly search electronic devices at the border that it "would be foolish, if not irresponsible" to travel abroad with sensitive data on your device.
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