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U.S. Airport Screeners Are Watching What You Read

Posted by Zonk on from the just-forget-about-rights dept.

boarder8925 writes "Be careful what you read when you fly in the United States. What you read is being monitored by airport screeners and stored in a government database for years. 'Privacy advocates obtained database records showing that the government routinely records the race of people pulled aside for extra screening as they enter the country, along with cursory answers given to U.S. border inspectors about their purpose in traveling. In one case, the records note Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder John Gilmore's choice of reading material, and worry over the number of small flashlights he'd packed for the trip. The breadth of the information obtained by the Gilmore-funded Identity Project (using a Privacy Act request) shows the government's screening program at the border is actually a survelliance dragnet."

7 of 484 comments (clear)

  1. The End of the Republic by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 0, Troll

    America will never recover from the past 7 years' descent into police state. Those records, and the system that extracts them from us, will last indefinitely, regardless of any trumped up "counterterrorism" needs.

    But at least we can slow the descent into an evil empire. Go out and vote on November 4, 2008. And if you voted for a Republican sometime in the past dozen or so years, but haven't learned to change your ways, stay home.

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    make install -not war

    1. Re:The End of the Republic by mmeister · · Score: 0, Troll

      The terrorists have already won. Look at the police state we have today (all in the name of "security"). We've already lost.

    2. Re:The End of the Republic by birdboy2000 · · Score: 0, Troll

      That wasn't in my copy of the constitution. It just said things like "shall not be suspended" and "shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech" without mentioning citizenship at all. We aren't allowed to execute Canadians or torture Brits whenever the fuck we feel like it.

    3. Re:The End of the Republic by Supergood-ape · · Score: 0, Troll

      I disagree with your reading. What mechanism exists for us to settle our dispute?

      And what does that mechanism say about the subject? Hint: it doesn't agree with you.

    4. Re:The End of the Republic by Supergood-ape · · Score: 0, Troll

      Sorry, I had no idea you were mentally ill.

      My sympathies.

  2. Re:That's not what I was taught in the fifties. by BlowHole666 · · Score: 0, Troll

    We have other modes of travel other then by air. You could, Drive, Take a train, Bus, Walk, take a boat etc. So yes you have other options.

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    I smoked pot once. But I DID NOT inhale. Will you hire me?
  3. Re:One Fine Day at ORD by corbettw · · Score: 1, Troll

    Well, that's one way to get rid of trolls, I guess. There's always a silver lining!

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    God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.