Slashdot Mirror


Examining the Search and Seizure of Electronics at Airports

Angus McKraken brings us a Washington Post story about how travelers are seeking more well-defined policies and rules about the search and seizure of electronic devices by U.S. Customs officials. The EFF has already taken legal action over similar concerns. We recently discussed the related issue of requiring people to disclose their passwords in order to search their private data. From the Post: "Maria Udy, a marketing executive with a global travel management firm in Bethesda, said her company laptop was seized by a federal agent as she was flying from Dulles International Airport to London in December 2006. Udy, a British citizen, said the agent told her he had 'a security concern' with her. 'I was basically given the option of handing over my laptop or not getting on that flight,' she said. 'I was assured that my laptop would be given back to me in 10 or 15 days,' said Udy, who continues to fly into and out of the United States. She said the federal agent copied her log-on and password, and asked her to show him a recent document and how she gains access to Microsoft Word. She was asked to pull up her e-mail but could not because of lack of Internet access. With ACTE's help, she pressed for relief. More than a year later, Udy has received neither her laptop nor an explanation."

142 of 699 comments (clear)

  1. United Police State of America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Y'all just keep on sleepwalking, the government is taking care of everything...

    1. Re:United Police State of America by Raven42rac · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I took a flight once from Dulles to Dublin. They told me my laptop tested positive for nitro glycerin. I said "so?" They said "well nitro glycerin is in a lot of hand lotions" "Then I used hand lotion." The TSA is really hit or miss. I had to take off my flip flop sandals at Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans. "You call these shoes?" "They're footwear" And they were patting down a disabled WWII vet in a wheelchair. I told the fresh out of high school kid that he should be embarrassed. That old guy obviously hates America. You're really at their mercy though.

      --
      I hate sigs.
    2. Re:United Police State of America by Vlad_the_Inhaler · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Two of us flew out of Denver a couple of years ago during the ski season. My skis tested positive for explosives - normal if it has snowed recently and they have been triggering avalanches - and my friend's ski boots tested positive.

      The boots were in her suitcase. The guys got to rummage through her underwear. She was *not* amused. I understand female celebrities tend to mail their underwear home for just that reason.

      This theft of laptops at airports is in a different class though, those guys have been given too much power.

      --
      Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
    3. Re:United Police State of America by matria · · Score: 2, Informative

      that's glycerine in hand lotion. Somebody is pulling somebody's finger here.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroglycerin

    4. Re:United Police State of America by Raven42rac · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I never argued that, I just went along with the path that posed the least resistance. I say "hey, there's no nitro in hand lotion" I'm on a one-way flight to Cuba.

      --
      I hate sigs.
    5. Re:United Police State of America by Raven42rac · · Score: 2, Funny

      Tim McVeigh wasn't a disabled octogenarian.

      --
      I hate sigs.
    6. Re:United Police State of America by 1u3hr · · Score: 4, Interesting
      And they were patting down a disabled WWII vet in a wheelchair.

      You've never seen "Day of the Jackal" (the oringal version)? The asassin has a sniper rifle broken down and made into a set of crutches, for an old war veteran...

      If you;re going to search people at all, you really should be searching people with large pieces of metal piping, no matter what medals they're wearing.

      Yeah, I know, a "movie threat". Still, profiling people to wave through is as bad as profiling people to give a hard time to. Both allow an enemy to game the system

    7. Re:United Police State of America by dognts · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Isn't it great how Americans sit back and let the government do the work for the bad guys of this world. What do the "worlds baddest guys" hate the most about America? Out Constitution. What do they do to erode it. Nothing, except get our own government to do it for them. Then our government instructs us to belive we are safer from all these bad guys and if we don't go with the program they will give us someplace to stay with tree hots and a cot to learn our place. I guess we have to move to a foriegn country and be treated this way in order to get some goodie two shoe organization to notice and put pressure on the the government to stop treating thier people this way cuz its wrong. There isn't any common sense in this world anymore. Boy I wish thier were still people out there with the integrity of Washington, Reveere, Franklin, oh well back to Star Trek.

    8. Re:United Police State of America by a+whoabot · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you read Qutb, that so-called "grandfather" of Al-Qaeda or whatever, he has this book called Milestones, the thing he writes about America that he hates it simply because it's "un-Islamic" particularly the sexualisation and gender-mixing (that is, unrelated women and men meeting each other), and materialism of the culture. He does mention freedom though as something he hates about it, but I'm pretty sure he's talking licence regarding holy practises, not freedom in the founding fathers sense.

    9. Re:United Police State of America by aseth · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They hate us for our freedoms!
      Luckily for us, we've cleverly ensured that they don't have that cause to hate us anymore! Right?

    10. Re:United Police State of America by Scrameustache · · Score: 2, Funny

      And they were patting down a disabled WWII vet in a wheelchair.



      You've never seen "Day of the Jackal" (the oringal version)? The asassin has a sniper rifle broken down and made into a set of crutches, for an old war veteran...



      If you;re going to search people at all, you really should be searching people with large pieces of metal piping, no matter what medals they're wearing.

      Perfectly cromulent, but you'll notice that they didn't search the tubing in the wheelchair, they patted down the old man.

      As an aside, they should know better, I've seen a dwarf on TV tell TSA agents that they should search his wheelchair, and that he's kind of insulted that they assume he's not a threat because he's a dwarf with bad knees.
      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    11. Re:United Police State of America by pipatron · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What do the "worlds baddest guys" hate the most about America? Out Constitution.

      Actually, no one outside the US cares about your constitution. We care more about how you randomly invade countries without reason, how you try to enforce your local laws and policy on weaker nations, and things like that.

      --
      c++; /* this makes c bigger but returns the old value */
    12. Re:United Police State of America by dognts · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Good point but doesn't our constitution give us those rights that he is against? Now is the problem with this with him and his beliefs or with the American public letting our own government get away with what they do because some one like him believes what he does. Now was the constitution given to us because it was needed to protect us from some one else beliefs? I think so, but not just from foreign beliefs but from beliefs from with in our own country that could be forced upon us by the treats of punishment. I don't really need to read, not that it is a bad thing to do mind you, about someone else beleifs to have a little common sence about things. We have protected rights against our government doing some of the things they do and no one holds them accountable to that to the point every one forgets that we have them. Of course we have let them erode those rights to the point of letting them right laws protecting themselves from accountabilty. Shame on us! We the people have done this no one else and thats sad, because its we the people who are going to have to reverse it even though that means maybe breaking the law to do so. Thats the integratiy that I was referring to that out founding fathers had and that we don't have. I am all for everyone including Qtub having thier own beliefs but I am not in agreement with whats going on today. Now what is there to do about it? I know that I will probably catch alot of slack from this and thats okay maybe something else will come from it all. Something good I hope like everyone taking thier blinders of and seeing things at the most basic level and doing something about. Catch Ya Later!

    13. Re:United Police State of America by Idiomatick · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Honestly i am curious how effective a sniper rifle would be on a plane.

    14. Re:United Police State of America by Lord+Dreamshaper · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think I speak for a lot of people in a lot of countries when I say my problem is that I wonder when it's our turn, if not by military means then by economic means. There's an awful lot of gas and oil up here in Canada...

      --
      When all of your wishes have been granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed - Marilyn Manson
    15. Re:United Police State of America by mordenkhai · · Score: 2, Funny

      Plans to invade Canada have been scrapped by three separate administrations. Your bilingual signs confuse us, and its cold. Please send us more "bacon" as we would like to have another Egg McMuffin, and we will conveniently forget about the everything else, eh?

    16. Re:United Police State of America by arminw · · Score: 2, Interesting

      .......we the people who are going to have to reverse it even though that means maybe breaking the law to do so........

      No, we don't have to break any laws, we have to break the lawmakers by voting them out of office and putting in people who will listen to the voters, rather than money.

      One definition of insanity is: "Doing the same thing over an over again and expecting a different result each time. As long as a legislator can spend a lifetime in office, even if demonstrated to be totally in the pocket of the big moenybags, being voted in again and again, how can anything change?

      Right now a certain female wants to get into office. She and her husband are for big business, even if that big business is in opposition to the people and the little competitors.

      --
      All theory is gray
    17. Re:United Police State of America by Kazymyr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      ...theft of laptops at airports...

      It's not theft. It's called DHS discount and it tends to occur a lot around birthdays and holidays.

      --
      I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet -Stanislaw Lem
    18. Re:United Police State of America by stuff+and+such · · Score: 5, Funny

      My favorite airport story still comes from my dad. He has metal pins in his ankle from a car wreck many years ago. He had done the usual 'take the shoes off' and as they waved the wand around his bare foot, it goes off. Dad says "there are metal pins in my ankle", airport genius says "can you take them out?"

      --
      my UID occurs in pi starting at the 384,199 digit after the decimal point.
    19. Re:United Police State of America by dognts · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Maybe your right about we don't have to break the law. Maybe our government will quit interpreting the law in such a way that we break it anyway you look at it also. I would agree with you about breaking the lawmakers by voting if you could do that. I mean it is suppose to be the way it works right? I'll remind you of what you typed if I may? One defination of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result each time". Isn't that what voting is? Especially after the last election where it was taken to such great extent to prove to everyone that your vote, and or that act of voting doesn't mean anything? I agree with you about the certian party running for office. I also don't beleave our country would be best servered with the others. So where does that leave the voting process. Who really decided who we get to vote for. The people? I don't believe that for one minute. Now back to my point. Who's fault is all this. We the people because we let it happen. That includes myself by the way. So given the cercumstance as they really are what do you propose as a method of correcting this? As I have said to others there isn't any shame in resorting to violence to correct such an unjust situation, just alot off shame that that is the only avenue that has been left for one to do so to accomplish it. No I don't advocate using violence but whatelse is left. I mean really it did work in the past when our founding fathers was facing the same thing and I can't really believe anyone would shame them for it. If there be a better way I am all for it as long as it accomplishes getting America Back to being America! Somethings never change no matter how insane one feels about it!

    20. Re:United Police State of America by billcopc · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The biggest problem with security is that it is put in the hands of the lowest blue-collared individuals. Very few people aspire to become security guards. They end up in that job because it pays well and only requires a high-school diploma or GED. These buffoons have been taught that explosives can be made out of common household items, but they lack that special magic we call INTELLECT to understand that the reverse is equally true.

      Yeah, so right this minute I probably have traces of crystal meth on my hands. I haven't used, sold nor produced it, but I withdrew some cash from the ATM a few minutes ago. Cletus Lawman is convinced I'm a drug-smuggling terrorist.

      The problem with the world is that stupid wins over smart every time.

      --
      -Billco, Fnarg.com
    21. Re:United Police State of America by TurinPT · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Islamic terrorists care very much about the US Constitution, because it's against Islam, just like the laws and principles of European countries are against Islam. Looks like someone's been watching too much american TV.
      The majority of islamic terrorist organizations actually fight to 'end the foreign influence in Muslim countries and the creation of a new Islamic caliphate'. Seriously, don't bother then and they won't bother you.

    22. Re:United Police State of America by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That old guy obviously hates America.

      He probably does hate what it's become. That veteran probably knows better than anyone born after the War just how much we've thrown away.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    23. Re:United Police State of America by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The majority of islamic terrorist organizations actually fight to 'end the foreign influence in Muslim countries and the creation of a new Islamic caliphate'.

      Which means executing women for being raped, for example. The creation of an Islamic caliphate is not a good thing in any way, shape or form. I don't believe in your moral relativism.

      Seriously, don't bother then and they won't bother you.

      Do you honestly believe that?

    24. Re:United Police State of America by FLEB · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And they were patting down a disabled WWII vet in a wheelchair. I told the fresh out of high school kid that he should be embarrassed.

      If you're going to have random (or universal) searches, though, they should always be at least random. If you have exemption criteria that mandates disregarding a "hit", then you're allowing a loophole that becomes a known "pass". How hard would it be for the ever-present "potential terrorist" to fake being a wheelchair-bound war vet? For that matter, is it completely outside the bounds that a wheelchair-bound vet might have terrorist intentions?

      Admittedly, I'm not that well-traveled, but from the couple times I've been to the Cancun airport in Mexico, I really liked their random screening method for customs. There's a big traffic light and a button, presumably on a randomizer. Hit the button: if it buzzes and goes red, your stuff gets the high-intensity search. Not only does it give an exciting game-show contestant mentality to the whole thing, it also makes it clear to everyone involved that it's just plain luck-of-the-draw, whoever's chosen.

      --
      Information wants to be free.
      Entertainment wants to be paid.
      You just want to be cheap.
    25. Re:United Police State of America by radimvice · · Score: 3, Insightful

      These buffoons have been taught that explosives can be made out of common household items, but they lack that special magic we call INTELLECT to understand that the reverse is equally true.

      Holy crap, common household items can made out of explosives? Please, tell me more!

    26. Re:United Police State of America by gronofer · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The biggest problem with security is that it is put in the hands of the lowest blue-collared individuals.

      No, this is just a symptom of the biggest problem, which is that the people at the top are completely clueless.

      Check out this article which shows just how bad it's getting.

    27. Re:United Police State of America by intheshelter · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Heck I'm an American and your response is pure poppycock. Let's examine a few fallacies. . .

      "Why didn't we take out Saddam and his regime then? Because the president at the time recognized his Constitutional limits under his edict to act."

      -His Constitutional limits prevented him? Duh! If he was following our constitution he wouldn't have been there in the first place because Congress had not declared war. Our leaders don't give one whit about the Constitution unless it somehow personally threatens them with jail time. Our Constitution has been a paper tiger for quite a while now.

      "I'll play along and postulate that you don't like our military protecting the agribusiness that feeds so much of the world."

      - So it's OK for us to invade someone because we feed part of the world? That's about the most idiotic statement I've ever heard.

      "George W has a clear history of not tolerating anyone who hurts his dad."

      - Sooooo we invaded a country because Bush Jr. wants avenge his daddy. The same daddy who (contrary to your quote above) was NOT hurt by Saddam. Again, the stupidity of this justification can not be measured with today's technology.

      "Our invasion there was many things, but it wasn't random, neither was it without reason. And I don't mean reason as in have a reason or have an excuse, I mean reason as in a reasoning process was involved. It may have been GIGO, it may have been immoral, but it was perfectly predictable. Random and without reason is never predictable."

      - You silly philosophy lesson is a nice attempt to minimize what everyone is saying, but unfortunately it sounds like a complete diversion because you fail to address what everyone is saying. Our invasion was completely without reason. Don't try and pull some amateur psych explanation to justify it. The only reasoning process involved in this invasion was how to dupe the public into thinking this was justified. You obviously fell for it.

      "Are you even aware that the popular belief was that America didn't oust Saddam because we lost the war there in the '90s?"

      - Oh, well, then by all means lets invade them and kill Saddam so we can save face and say we won! How does the popular Arab belief that we lost have anything to do with the fact that Iraq posed no threat to us? Let them believe what they want, I don't care.

      One thing is becoming quite clear. George Bush has killed far more people with his policies than Osama bin laden, and Bush's policies are no more valid than bin Laden's.

    28. Re:United Police State of America by idontgno · · Score: 2, Funny

      That would mean my stereo, for example, could be made out of C4.

      "This one goes to 11."

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  2. Customs agent's kid . . . needed a laptop . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . this is all part of that One Laptop Per Child thingie . . .happens all the time at airports, or roadside checkpoints in Africa . . .

    . . . nothing new here, move along, sans laptop . . .

  3. Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by OldBaldGuy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you RTFA, the examples appear to be cases of traveling while being Muslim, Middle Eastern or Asian. Any examples of Nordic blondes or Irish Redheads getting the same treatment?

    1. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by PetriBORG · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Either Muslim, or Middle Eastern, or South Asian too... But yeah I'd agree it would appear that its racial.

      What I think is maybe most disgusting though is that we're so pathetic as to accept this abuse. I travel to Asia with my wife - who is Chinese - quite a bit and the TSA and Customs people are always the worst. All I'm interested in is getting to my destination, but we all have to be treated like sheep to these people!

      I've always avoided bringing the laptop on the plane because of weight, but they are even going after iPods and cell-phone data - going as far as to copy all of your contacts, call history, and take the SIM chip out of your phone. How am I supposed to call for a ride because my phone won't work w/o the SIM chip in it...

      I can always use dm-crypt or true-crypt on my laptop but how the hell am I supposed to deal with them taking my terrorist iPod and phone? God forbid I try and bring an iPhone on the plane!

      --
      Pete/Petri "damn, my chainsaw is clogged with 1's and 0's again." --clyde
    2. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nordic Blondes and Irish redheads get frisked pretty throughly. If they are very large breasted then we have to really check them over, make them get naked, take photos, oil them up and take more photos, etc...

      it's all in the name of security! If we did not do this terrorists would be blowing up EVERYTHING!!!!

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by dkleinsc · · Score: 3, Informative

      I was going to say, I thought the rules were perfectly clear: You are searched like crazy if you're coming from the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia, or your name is Mohammed or Hussein, or you look vaguely Muslim.

      Of course, DHS can't actually say those rules, so instead they give out some bull about "random selection".

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    4. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 4, Insightful

      For what it is worth, you see examples of both being hit in this thread-- the example of the disabled elderly vet above being one.

      Let's not make it about race-- it is about seizure of property without cause.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    5. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Aaron5367 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Isn't this just what the terrorists want? Us to fear them?

      What ever happened to our liberties making us great, not our lack of them?

    6. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by walt-sjc · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What the terrorists want is to disrupt our lives, and cause fear. They have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. We have already lost the "war."

    7. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by MadMidnightBomber · · Score: 4, Informative

      UK international development minister Shahid Malik, was detained on the way back from a series of meetings in Washington on combatting terrorism. You really couldn't make this stuff up if you tried. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7066944.stm )

      --
      "It doesn't cost enough, and it makes too much sense."
    8. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by rhombic · · Score: 2, Funny

      On the upside, it's a great way to get you out of Federal Jury duty. I got called up last year for a case involving a family member smuggling a kid into the US from Mexico. During voir dire, they asked if anyone had had negative experiences with Customs and Immigration. I swear, half of us got rejected as jurors after that one.

      --
      1984 was supposed to be a warning, not an instruction manual.
    9. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Lobster+Quadrille · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hehe. Weapons of Mass Distraction.

      Thank you, I'll be here all week

      --
      "The cup is in turn designed for holding hot or cold liquids, and has an open rim and closed base." --US Patent #5425497
    10. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Let's get right to the core ... not only is this not about race, as such, it's not even about property (the Feds couldn't care less about some used pieces of consumer electronics.) It's about the information stored in them. That's what they want, for any of a number of reasons. Whether it be terrorist plans, corporate info of one kind or another, or for that matter any examples of copyright infringement they can find (and, of course, any good porn) it's all about the data. They've said as much: it's intelligence gathering.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    11. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Interesting

      For what it is worth, you see examples of both being hit in this thread-- the example of the disabled elderly vet above being one. Tokenism refers to a policy or practice of limited inclusion of members of a minority group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices, intentional or not. Typical examples in real life and fiction include purposely including a member of a minority race (such as a black character in a mainly white cast, or vice versa) into a group. Classically, token characters have some reduced capacity compared to the other characters, and may have bland or inoffensive personalities so as to not be accused of stereotyping negative traits. Instead, their difference may be overemphasized or made "exotic" and glamorous.

      "We're not doing racial profiling! Look, we're searching a disabled veteran, out of the dozens of brown people we searched today! See?"
      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    12. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by tiananmen+tank+man · · Score: 2, Funny

      When traveling thru the airport thru international boarders, you know they check your bags and stuff for bombs and other bomb chemicals like dihydrogen monooxide. You don't have an expectation of privacy. They can and will use this opertunity to go fishing for infomation and can and will use it in court as evidence if needed.

    13. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by dosun88888 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm pretty sure that they just want us to stop helping out Israel and get our military the hell away from their countries. Our government is technically winning because they're still doing whatever the hell they want to do, and the only cost is our freedom.

      The biggest losers in this war are our children. They will get to grow up in a police state because their parents didn't have the balls to stand up and say "no more."

    14. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by vmxeo · · Score: 2, Informative

      You mean like this? Or do you want to limit it just to data seizures?

    15. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Maxmin · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, there's the No-Fly List. I know a civil rights attorney in Manhattan who has to drive or take the train much of the time, because he's on the federal govt's unpublished, unacknowledged No-Fly List. He's never been charged with a crime, he's not a terrorist ... but his firm represents a handful of them down at Guantanamo, and he's filed briefs on their behalf.

      He's a Jew of European descent, caucasian by appearance. I think it's down to his job and the actions his firm takes on behalf of Guantanamo detainees.

      --
      O lord, bless this thy holy hand grenade, that with it thou mayest blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.
    16. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by blincoln · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This isn't about "outsiders." Muslims have developed a reputation for terrorism and troublemaking (which is strictly their own fault). As a result, anyone who looks like they might be a Muslim is subjected to extra scrutiny. It's just common sense.

      This isn't about "outsiders." Jews have developed a reputation for financial conspiracy and troublemaking (which is strictly their own fault). As a result, anyone who looks like they might be a Jew is subjected to extra scrutiny. It's just common sense.

      This isn't about "outsiders." The Irish have developed a reputation for drunken violence and terrorism (which is strictly their own fault). As a result, anyone who looks like they might be Irish is subjected to extra scrutiny. It's just common sense.

      This isn't about "outsiders." The Japanese and Germans have developed a reputation for covert operations on behalf of their homelands while living in the United States (which is strictly their own fault). As a result, anyone who looks like they might be Asian (it's too hard to tell the difference) or German is subjected to extra scrutiny. It's just common sense.

      --
      "...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
    17. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Escogido · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nordic Blondes and Irish redheads get frisked pretty throughly. If they are very large breasted then we have to really check them over, make them get naked, take photos, oil them up and take more photos, etc...

      it's all in the name of security! If we did not do this terrorists would be blowing up EVERYTHING!!!! Every-one, not every-thing. Remember, we are talking about Nordic blondes and Irish redheads blowing here.
    18. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by hamster_nz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Um, You missed his point. All of these groups 'could' be treated in the same was as you currently view Muslims - there are justifications in history! Were you in London while the IRA were bombing? I went to school with somebody who who lost a leg in an IRA bombing. Which is far closer to me personally then any body killed by a Muslim terror attack. In some cases reputations are earned. In this case popular media is portraying all followers of the Muslim faith as being fundamentalists - and some people less capable in critical thinking are believing it. Surely it is everybody with the name "Bin Laden" that should be screened!

    19. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Raideen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This isn't about "outsiders." The Japanese and Germans have developed a reputation for covert operations on behalf of their homelands while living in the United States (which is strictly their own fault). As a result, anyone who looks like they might be Asian (it's too hard to tell the difference) or German is subjected to extra scrutiny. It's just common sense.
      I don't even know what this means.
      Seriously? That was a reference to the internment of the Japanese and Germans (even American citizens of Japanese and German decent) in America during World World II.

      The fact is that Jewish, Irish, German and Japanese people do not have the kind of reputations you're fantasizing about.
      The examples are real ones taken from history. They're not theoretical. Oh, and I've had Muslim friends. They never even tried to kill me for being an infidel! They must've failed terrorism training camp or something. Your brand of hate mongering is eerily similar to the kinds of justifications that has been used throughout history in order to unjustly attack or oppress "undesirable" groups of people.
    20. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Raideen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What are those examples supposed to prove? Because Japanese and German people were once treated with suspicion, it must somehow mean that treating Muslims with suspicion is wrong? Or what? I don't get it. This is now, and what Muslims are doing or not doing has nothing to do with what some other people were doing or not doing many decades ago. There's no connection.
      Japan and Germany were attacking other nations, thus the suspicion against people of Japanese and Germany descent. At least some Muslim nations are funding terrorists, thus the suspicion of Muslims. I don't know how you can dismiss the similarities. If you are in agreement with the interment during WWII, then at least have the balls to say so. Then at least you would have a consistent point of view. If you don't see a problem with what happened then, it's obvious that you wouldn't see a problem now.

      I bet the number of Muslim friends you have is considerably lower than the number of Muslims who would gladly decapitate you.
      How is that a rational argument? My friends vs. the number of extremists among 1.5 billion Muslims. Yeah, that's a fair comparison. You're more likely to killed by a non-Muslim in New York. Maybe you're statistically more likely to get killed by someone of a particular race or ethnicity. Let's fear them too! What point were you trying to make?

      Are you really going to argue that Muslims pose no threat and that Islam is a Religion of Peace (tm) just because you have a couple of benign Muslim friends? Did it ever occur to you that maybe there's a world outside your small sphere of existence?
      Am I going to argue that all Muslims pose no threat? No, of course not. I'm a New Yorker. I'm also not going to say that all Muslim nations pose no threat to other nations, because that's obviously not true. On the other hand, you argue that Islam is a Religion of Hate(tm). How small is your world that you think that all Muslims are evil and violent or actually believe that a majority of them are? If that were true, the U.S. would have been driven out of Afghanistan and Iraq a long time ago because the death toll would have been at least an order of magnitude higher than it is now.

      Muslims always get a free pass. No matter how much they threaten, terrorize, kill and rampage, nobody says a word. If someone does say something, he's guilty of "hate mongering" or "racism." Muslims are never guilty of anything. Do you have a rational reason for ignoring what they do and attacking anyone who talks about it?
      I'm not ignoring anything. You just make broad, sweeping rationalizations about 1.5 billion people, hence the hate mongering. Would it appease you to call it prejudice instead?
    21. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by Stanistani · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, just looking at your statements was sufficient.

      Hey, guys, don't mod this guy down and make him in his own eyes a martyr. Respond to him. Show how far off he is in not acknowledging recent historical examples.

      Especially get on him for the 'their own fault' statement.

      Not every member of a group is an extremist, and if we antagonize those members who work against extremism, we do ourselves a severe disservice as well.

    22. Re:Traveling while Muslim or Middle Eastern by hamster_nz · · Score: 2, Informative

      In general, to "troll" means to allure, to fish, to entice or to bait - usually wanting to slam the other person.

      I can see two reasons why your post was a troll.

      1. Ones persons verifiable personal contact to an act of terrorism is not "utterly meaningless" - it is at least one datum.
      I guess if I were to call a fact that your school buddy lost a leg in 9/11 "utterly meaningless" I would be marked as a troll too.

      2. Regarding the media - I think from my post it was quite clear that I don't think that muslims are bad people, and I gather you don't follow Fox News... headlines line "KUWAIT CITY -- Valentine's Day is just three days away, but one Muslim politician is heading up a committee to make sure it goes completely ignored.". What sort of reporting is that???

      If I were to say something like "And what about those Christian American paediophile soldiers who pack-raped a 14 year old Iraq girl then shot her and her family in Mahmoudiya - those sons-of-a-b@#$h Americans are evil". That, my friend, is quite a worthy troll.

      Notice how the "those" in that sentence refers to the the five soldiers and is 100% true (assuming they have been . Notice how the "American" adjective seems to tar all Americans with the same brush. Do you disagree with me about those Americans being evil? If not, do you support murder and rape? That is the Fox News way... the American "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" School of making News.

  4. Yet another reason to use linux by Aranykai · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Lets see them figure out how to access Microsoft Word without their fancy "Start" button.

    --
    If sharing a song makes you a pirate, what do I have to share to be a ninja?
    1. Re:Yet another reason to use linux by pdwalker · · Score: 5, Insightful

      All it means is that those retards would be more likely to confiscate it because they don't recognize what it is.

  5. wow! by A3gis · · Score: 2, Funny

    The agent probably booted up World of Warcraft .. to check for terrorist activities of course
    - guess she just has to wait til he gets his nightelf to lvl 70

  6. Re:Proprietary data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The chinese did it so it's ok for America to do it - Idiot

  7. Decoy Data by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Mobile devices have very large storage, which can be compressed to varying degrees at will, better than 50% averaged across all data types. It wouldn't be very hard to make a filesystem (or other storage type) for any of them that stores an equal amount of fake data, with a fake password, with everything compressed in the same space as an uncompressed set of real data. Such a filesystem could look just like a real filesystem in every way, including total size, but hide the real data behind fake data and fake password. If it's all encrypted, it would be very hard to tell the difference, especially in an airport screening line.

    Of course, that would probably violate some law. And "only the bad guys" would do it. But if those bad guys actually have something to hide that also violates those security laws, then of course they'll break that law's "coverup" prohibitions, too.

    Terrorist and other criminal orgs with enough resources to be a real threat, and carry notebooks and phones around on flights they don't just blow up, will be able to afford such a filesystem. And once there is one in the wild, anyone will get it, probably for free.

    So this is yet another stupid simcurity (simulated security) measure. It's intimidation of everyone to scare us into thinking our government is "doing something severe" to terrorists, when it's just abusing our own freedom. While wasting everyone's time, eroding our trust of our government, and letting the terrorists go free.

    Sounds like they're already using sophisticated decoys at DHS: fake security to hide the dangerous absence of any real security.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Decoy Data by ocbwilg · · Score: 2, Informative

      There's a simple fix to this. TrueCrypt supports hidden volumes. So you create a TrueCrypt encrypted volume, say of 2GB in size. Then you put a couple megabytes of data in it. Then you create the hidden volume within the encrypted volume, and put your real private data in there, using a different passphrase to encrypt the two volumes.

      Now when someone looks at your hard disk they see a single 2GB encrypted volume. They can get your password and decrypt that volume, but they can't see the second encrypted volume within the first. And because all of the data is encrypted you cannot tell the whitespace from encrypted data on the disk. It's pretty slick actually.

      I'd like to think that if I were confronted with this that I would tell the TSA agent to fuck off, then point out that anyone who wanted to get "contraband" material into or outside of the country wouldn't store it on their laptop to begin with. They'd put it on a memory stick that's hidden in their suitcase, or, more likely, keep in on a server outside of the US and access it remotely from a free WiFi AP at Panera. But once again we have security theatre at it's best.

    2. Re:Decoy Data by mrchaotica · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's a simple fix to this.

      That's not a fix. That's a workaround, and a shitty one at that! The real fix is to destroy the TSA, and get our civil liberties back!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  8. Can you do this? by yabos · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you don't want your stuff taken can't you just tell them to fuck off and leave the airport. That is if you're in your own country I mean.

    1. Re:Can you do this? by MichaelKaiserProScri · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I am unclear if that is being offered as an option. If I cannot take my laptop with me on a business trip, there is no point in doing the trip. I am a Software Engineer and my laptop is the primary tool with which I do my job. If I do not have it, I cannot work. Furthermore, in many cases the contents of my laptop are far more valuable than the device itself. As far as I am concerned, the device is disposable, the data is what is valuable. Yes, I keep a backup, but there is always that last little bit I have just done that is not in the backup yet....

    2. Re:Can you do this? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe you'll have to get your drive implanted, with bluetooth connection to your laptop. OTOH if they find that, seizure will literally hurt.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  9. One more reason not to visit US by ms1234 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What a great way to find out about company secrets. And if they are on an encrypted volume? Dare you travel there anymore?

  10. Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Insightful

    where a traveler would be better off shipping his or her laptop separately rather than trying to take it on a plane. This is starting to get out of hand: confiscating personal property without cause? What the Hell? The government must be running short on laptops, I guess. Twenty years ago I'd have said this could never happen here, if anyone had asked. Sorry to see that I'd have been wrong.

    In 1984, I remember my aunt flew from Chicago to Boston, with a .44 Magnum and a box of cartridges in her suitcase. Nobody noticed, nobody cared, she didn't even think twice about it (I'll tell you though, had there been any boxcutter-wielding bastards on that plane she'd have killed them all. You don't know my aunt.) Can you imagine trying that today? One group of Islamic assholes causes some damage and just look at what we've done to ourselves.

    I'm still proud of my country but not as much as I used to be. That bothers me. What also bothers me is that bad behavior on the part of the TSA and other government organs is in danger of becoming institutionalized, which will make it very difficult to eliminate.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    1. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by jawtheshark · · Score: 2, Informative

      when her .44 blew a hole through the perp and into the fuselage, causing a violent decompression
      Ahem...
      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    2. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oh, I'm well aware of that and I knew someone would point it out (this being Slashdot) but that's only an issue if the plane is traveling at cruising altitude. If you're going to shoot a terrorist, wait until the plane is down to a couple thousand feet. You can survive a few holes then (hell, a plane coming in to Florida some years ago lost a good part of the upper fuselage, and other than one flight attendant being sucked out, nobody else was killed.)

      Whether or not passengers should be armed or not is really a separate issue, I was just commenting on the difference between how we perceive security since that time (although a heavily-armed populace tends to be secure against people with boxcutter knives.) Sure, if some security person had noticed that gun, it would have been confiscated, she might have been questioned, but there wouldn't have been much more to it than that. Nowadays ... well, I'd probably be visiting her in prison, because the presumption would be that she intended to do harm with that weapon. Guilty, and we don't much care if you're innocent. Back then, the presumption would have been that she made a mistake.

      More to the point, it's hard for me to understand how stealing laptops helps me be more secure (if you confiscate something and never return it, well, pretty much you just stole it.) Demonstrating that a device functions as expected ... okay, I guess I can buy that. At least you know it's not a dummy packed full of C4. But insisting that passengers reveal passwords, and then just confiscating the equipment anyway? What is going on here? The government can call it "intelligence gathering" if it wants, but this is way out of line.

      Time for that TrueCrypt partition, I guess.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    3. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by Fnord666 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Parent post links to Mythbusters for cripes sake.
      Ok, we need a new form of Godwin's Law that applies to real scientific investigation and Mythbusters.
      --
      'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
    4. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by crossmr · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "I'm still proud of my country"

      I'm not trying to troll here, but why?
      America might have once been great, but what's really happened there in the last 10 years, 20 years to be proud of? Scandal after scandal, poor social policy after poor social policy, increasing ignorance and almost xenophobia, patent trolling, enron, cops abusing people (AND nothing being done about), civil liberties washed away, copyright madness, etc, etc. I'm sure there have been the odd medical and scientific advance but I'm not allowed to have a free though about those without paying a royalty to some major company.

      When I was a teenager I used to think it would be cool to move to the states. Wages were so much higher, a better climate, etc.
      Now I have to fly there occasionally for work, and I dread it.

    5. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm not trying to troll here, but why?

      Yes, you are. And there are still a lot of good things happening in this country, and for the most part I enjoy my life here. Then again, you don't live here and apparently most of what you know you get through the media or from Slashdot, so I suppose your attitude should be expected.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    6. Re:Sounds like it's getting to the point ... by PodBayDoor · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Amazing. You claim he can't know about America, but you claim to know the ways he knows about it. You are the +5 generalisation about America.

  11. Get it in writing... by jacksonj04 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When he took it and you were "guaranteed" you would get it back in a few days, ask for it in writing, on headed paper, signed by the guy who took your laptop and his supervisor.

    --
    How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
  12. Is this the United States or some banana republic? by rpp3po · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Can't believe this happening in a country which promotes itself as a global exporter of freedom. Do Americans just sit at home and watch this as just another ironic comedy on their TVs?

  13. Sure -- you just miss your flight. by localroger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And I'm pretty sure you don't get your airfare back. And you probably get on a list that makes sure it will happen every single time you ever try to fly again in the future. The stupid thing here is she did everything they asked, and they still stole her laptop. I can't see any rationalization for that.

    --
    Brackets contain world's first nanosig, highly magnified:[.]
  14. You know why you can't get relief? by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Each component of the system, that is supposed to be separate, is in bed with those it is supposed to be a check against. This wouldn't surprise anyone who has paid attention to the way that police officers are treated by judges and prosecutors, especially in "liberal areas" for abusing their authority. In places like Northern Virginia, one of the bluest parts of the country, the prosecutors won't touch a cop who shoots and kills someone in a criminal way while on duty. The very argument for giving them their extra powers over the public is that they're professionals with how they use it, and yet they're more likely to be treated like a well-meaning retarded child with a handgun rather than a professional for whom human error should almost invariably be regarded at first blush as criminal negligence.

    The prosecutors will rarely try them, the judges will rarely sanction prosecutors who do things like hound a guy they know is innocent, etc. Why? Because in general, the people in law enforcement, the DA's office and the judiciary are bad apples, with a few good ones mixed in. This applies to federal agencies as well.

    1. Re:You know why you can't get relief? by green1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Here it's almost the opposite, if a police officer makes a mistake (either on, or off duty) they prosecute more fully than any criminal, just to avoid the appearance of corruption.

      There was a case here a few years ago of a police officer who was attacked by a prisoner in a cell, he shot and killed the prisoner, the cop claimed self defence (that the criminal had grabbed for his gun and was shot in the struggle over the weapon). The case went to trial 3 times before the cop was finally convicted (first 2 cases resulted in hung juries) I can't think of any criminal that would have been tried 3 times to get the conviction, the case would have been dropped after the second trial for sure, but there was too much pressure to make it look like they were doing right, even if it meant going farther than they would ever normally do.

      This cop's life is now ruined over a decision that he had less than a second to make, that had potential life and death consequences for both him and the prisoner, and was analysed for several years afterwards.

      But then again... I don't live in the USA...

  15. Good! by Fuzzums · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is a very good thing.

    Not only will it promote the whole idea of Freedom and help spread democracy in a non violent way, but as a result we will see that people will stop carrying around laptops or other portable storage devices.

    And THAT is a good thing. We will soon see a sharp decline of missing or stolen sensitive personal or company data, so this is good for our privacy.

    Instead people will start using VPN to get to their data.

    --
    Privacy is terrorism.
  16. guilty until proven otherwise by bazorg · · Score: 4, Interesting
    interesting quote from TFA: Your kid can be arrested because they can't prove the songs they downloaded to their iPod were legally downloaded. Oh goody, when I immigrated to the UK I brought the MP3s but left the CDs behind. Got to remember leaving all music behind if travelling to the USA.

    Oh, and my laptop might be tricky to search... I wonder what procedures they have in place for people travelling with computers running alternative operating systems or simply in a language the officer cannot understand. 200 translators waiting behind the security booth? sounds practical.

    1. Re:guilty until proven otherwise by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Informative

      The procedure is this: they take your laptop and you don't get it back.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  17. ... and miss your plane. by krischik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While you are right doing so will take so long that you will miss your plane. In fact creating/using tight time contrainst is one of the three main ingredinence for any kind con jobs to cheat you out of your property.

  18. No Holiday in the US for us. by krischik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well one more reason for me to remove the US off possible holiday destinations. Of course the poor guy was on a buisiness trip and had no choice.

    Martin

  19. Re:2 options.... by jamar0303 · · Score: 5, Informative

    This can also be done with a normal PC and OSx86. My install will not boot into Mac OS without the install DVD in the drive. I do my work in Mac, put the DVD in my checked bag, then get on the plane. It'll boot straight into Windows without the disc, and since Windows can't read HFS+ it doesn't see the Mac partition.

    --
    OSx86 FTW
  20. Not checked baggage by localroger · · Score: 2, Informative

    You're strongly advised against that because you're also not allowed to lock your luggage any more, and the strong possibility of it getting stolen. Ship overnight insured, or just take your data on a key drive and use a computer that's already there when you land.

    --
    Brackets contain world's first nanosig, highly magnified:[.]
  21. Re:not that i'd really want to by cp.tar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    myself, but what if you shipped your laptop to and from wherever you were going by
    FedEx or whatever?

    They still open the package in the customs and charge you heavily just for opening it. And they can do whatever they want to with it while it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it.

    Therefore, many layers of TrueCrypt, fake data, semi-real data, and what-not else...
    What does TSA stand for, anyway? Techno Stasi of America?

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  22. Sounds like her company did the right thing by Dielectric · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In the article, it says that Radius went to an encrypted network to access company data. Given the recent news of stolen laptops, and the ensuing uproar over the data contained on them, it seems to me that everyone should take this approach. There are very few places that I go in the course of business that don't have some kind of network access. Even the hot dog stand down the street has free wifi, for crying out loud! Of course, you need an access scheme sufficient to keep thieves and DHS agents out of your database, but that's a solved problem with revocable certs, etc.

    The note about going through the recent documents log and browser history has me concerned, though. I may set the defaults on my work machine to never-save on the history. I can think of any number of services to archive bookmarks online. The idea here is that your travel machine may be lost, stolen, broken, or compromised at any time, and we should behave as such.

    It sucks that we have to protect ourselves from unreasonable search and seizure by our government, but we'll just have to deal with it for now. Not to get off on a rant here, but I think the Second Amendment should be interpreted to include strong encryption. The writers of the Constitution put that in there as a safeguard against jackbooted government thugs. In today's world, I see no political difference between a Kentucky Long Rifle and AES-128.

  23. secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effec by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

  24. not the answer by tacokill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The answer, of course, is to rely on your employer. Let me explain.

    Go ahead and fight them. I mean - do not let them search your laptop until forced to do so. Cite your company's information as the reason. Perhaps individual privacy is gone but we still have some sanctity for corporate data. It doesn't even have to be trademark/copyright/legally protected data. It just has to be data that your company deems 'private and confidential'. If people start missing flights because of over-ambitious TSA agents, eventually, businesses will start screaming about these searches....if they aren't already. Not only are they overly intrusive but they are causing losses in a very real way. Measurable losses.

    Anyone from Oracle or MSFT read this post? How would you feel about your laptop being held like this? How about someone from Adobe or Boeing? What about the big-3 car companies? Consulting companies?

    There are lots of businesses that require international travel and I am betting they don't want some $10.50/hr TSA employee reading your laptop anymore than you do. I expect employers to enter the fray any second now. They will not stand for this unless there are some checks and balances. They have no interest in writing off confiscated assets because of over zealous TSA agents and they are (unfortunately) our best defense.

    1. Re:not the answer by bug · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Unfortunately, my employer has made it clear that they want their employees to cooperate fully with these searches, and afterwards tell corporate security. Realistically, it's the only reasonable thing for the company to expect. For one, no company wants to be labeled as "supporting the terrists!" Heck, it could even hurt their ability to win government contracts. For another, TSA is unlikely to back down just because of some corporate security policy. The employee would find themselves unable to board their flight at best (and thus unable to complete whatever task the company assigned to them), and arrested and possibly charged with some absurd federal crime at worst. The business travelers have the most to lose if they refuse to comply.

      One poster suggested that government contractors refuse to cooperate, and call their corporate security officer and/or DSS. That's an interesting idea, but someone undergoing a TSA or Customs search won't have any opportunity to contact their security office during the search. They're not going to let you make a cellphone call. You either consent to the search, or you don't. If you don't consent, they might take it anyway, and I'll bet money you wind up in handcuffs.

    2. Re:not the answer by Original+Replica · · Score: 2, Interesting

      my employer has made it clear that they want their employees to cooperate fully with these searches, and afterwards tell corporate security. Realistically, it's the only reasonable thing for the company to expect.

      Is this explained to your clients in your companies privacy policy? I'm rather interested in knowing what my credit card companies policy is regarding data safety. Unfortunately, that part of the web site doesn't work. Some of the information being seized may be my information, even though I am not the one traveling. Do I have legal recourse if my information is copied from the laptop of a company I do business with?

      --
      We are all just people.
  25. Re:Shouldda Waited by QCompson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    She shouldda waited for that Supreme Court case that said divulging your password was a violation of your 5th amendment right. Don't get ahead of yourself. It was a federal magistrate in Vermont that gave that ruling, not the Supreme Court. We have no idea what the SCOTUS would do in such a situation... especially if it involves child pornography. They've been known to make exceptions to the Constitution when it comes to child pornography.
  26. Re:I don't travel myself... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Funny

    The only time I ever traveled by plane, I took NOTHING with me. NOTHING...well save for my ID and an American Express card.

    You traveled naked? :-)
    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  27. Need some export controls here by EdIII · · Score: 2, Funny

    The US has always seemed to be in the business of exporting freedom to other countries. Apparently we are exporting too much of it, especially since 2001. Maybe we need to create some more locally?

  28. Bloggers and YouTube killed your great nation by Shohat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nowadays, people who could have made a real change by marching in the streets, burning tires and protesting these horrible things, simply type away furiously, and think that someone cares.
    The Internet is a microscopic, meaningless medium for message delivery, and nothing proves it better than Ron Paul. You want to make a change? Stop blogging, making videos and writing articles, and start fighting with legislation, with money, with burning tires and real 100,000 people marches. The Internet created this idiotic illusion that a bunch of people supporting each other can make a difference. Well here's your fucking wake-up call. Reality has not changed.
    I am not from the US, and what's "worse" I am from Israel, but it saddens me to see your nation giving up so many values that has made it great.
    AND IT'S YOUR FUCKING FAULT, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING.

  29. Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The screeners at Dulles are the rudest I've encountered anywhere. It's like they're pissed off about life. By contrast, the screeners at BWI up the road are fine.

    At the Dulles airport, they make crap up and just hassle you because they can. You feel like you're in East Germany in 1961.

    But what can you do?

    The unfortunately part is Dulles in the 60's and 70's was always a joy to fly in and out of. As recently as the late 90's I used to take my kids there to watch the planes take off and land. It was a fun way to kill a sunday afternoon.

    Now of course, Airports are beyond miserable.

    1. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by Raven42rac · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're just human cattle to them. If someone really wanted to do something, he/she could just blow up the hundreds of people waiting at the bottleneck BEFORE security screening.

      --
      I hate sigs.
    2. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We're just human cattle to them.
      If someone really wanted to do something, he/she could just blow up the hundreds of people waiting at the bottleneck BEFORE security screening. I guess one could make a trigger mechanism that would be set off by the metal detector itself... dammit, now I'm thinking like an engineer/terrorist!
      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    3. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by TClevenger · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yup. Part of the construction at one airport a couple of years ago (I think Oakland) put a couple of hundred people waiting at the baggage claim in a relatively small room with a hundred people waiting to get through security. I told my wife, "If these people are smart, they won't bother with the planes; there's a 747-load right here."

    4. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by @madeus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      At the Dulles airport, they make crap up and just hassle you because they can. You feel like you're in East Germany in 1961.

      But what can you do? ...

      Now of course, Airports are beyond miserable. Amen to that.

      FWIW, this is why I won't be going back to the US any time soon (although I've been there several times in the past, and to Canada). I really like the US, I like the people and the country. Americans are some of the warmest most friendly and helpful people anywhere in the world. I have relatives there and I could quite happily spend my holidays there every year, one state at a time.

      The US tourist board run adverts on TV telling us to come visit at DiscoverAmerica.com, which - given the way they treat you when you do get there, post 9/11 - is entirely a mixed message it seems to me. Trips there are nothing but a hassle with endless queuing and stupid security checks. I've had on multiple trips and the absolutely insane delays and had to deal with concentration-camp guards that pass for Airport security staff that ask you stupid pointless questions and what you do for a living.

      For example, on our last trip (which I didn't want to go on, but a relative had just died, and there was a service):

      We didn't have all the technical details of where we were staying at every point in our trip - we didn't need them - but they detained us because we didn't have them. They then directed us to a computer and let us *Google for them*. We filled out the details and they let us on our way. I have no idea what the point in that was. I could have named any hotel chain in a nearby city and said "oh yeah, that one", it's not like they called to check.

      You certainly can't expect to turn up and just "take each day as it comes" as they expect you to say exactly where you will be and where you are staying. Personally I like to be spontaneous and free wheeling while I'm on holiday - especially when I'm visiting somewhere like the US where there is so much to see. On the last two trips I did multiple flights internally too, that was also an unbelievable hassle. Even the major airports are not designed to have large queues like there are now - clearly waiting areas and shopping areas have been altered to turn them into giant queuing zones.

      Of course there are queues at UK airports and some silly rules (e.g. flying from Heathrow to a domestic airport requires you take off your shoes, but fly back to Heathrow from a domestic airport and you don't have to) but the delays don't seem any worse than pre 9/11, especially now that new faster facilities are available. The security staff are by and large pretty chilled out. I've heard of some abuses by immigration officials specifically (who seem to be hired primarily on the basis of how much they hate foreigners), but I've also seen them shrug off abuse and being ranted at at by drunk passengers late for a flight for having to wait all of 10 minutes to go through security (from guys who were quite obviously in the bar when they should have been checking in).

      I'm looking forward to a future administration sorting this mess out and restoring some semblance of normality, I just hope that happens sooner rather than later. I know the US economy is a behemoth but the current regime has got to be hurting trade and tourism and impacting on the bottom line (I'm sure it's denting consumer confidence too, and so helping to depress the domestic market).
    5. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by ultranova · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I guess one could make a trigger mechanism that would be set off by the metal detector itself... dammit, now I'm thinking like an engineer/terrorist!

      Or you could just go to a phone booth, call the airport, say that you've planted bombs in the airport, hang up and walk away. Your friends could help by firing firecrackers close by.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    6. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by HiThere · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It only doesn't make sense if you presume their actual goals are aligned with their stated goals. If the goals are to induce relatively powerful people to feel helpless and threatened, it makes a lot more sense.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    7. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by gronofer · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yup. Part of the construction at one airport a couple of years ago (I think Oakland) put a couple of hundred people waiting at the baggage claim in a relatively small room with a hundred people waiting to get through security. I told my wife, "If these people are smart, they won't bother with the planes; there's a 747-load right here."
      Sure, but that wouldn't hurt the capitalist system where it really counts: the cost of replacing an airliner.
    8. Re:Well, we put the miserable screeners at Dulles. by Zemran · · Score: 3, Insightful

      20 years ago, I was traveling up through Sweden to Finland. I thought that it would be fun to do the return trip down the Russian side as there are a lot of places in the east that I wanted to visit. The paperwork was a nightmare and I decided against it. I have been wandering around the US and had a great time just going where I wanted. That is the sort of thing that I wanted to do in Russia, if I liked St Petersburg, stay a couple of weeks, if I didn't, move on...

      A couple of years ago I dropped into Moscow and traveled up north. I am now allowed to travel around in a way that I am no longer allowed to travel around the US. Some irony there.

      Land of the free? Who are you trying to fool?

      --
      I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
  30. Discussion of relevant precedent by theophilosophilus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Heres a good article from the IEEE Computer Society entitled "Setting Boundaries at Borders: Reconciling Laptop Searches and Privacy." The article discusses United States v. Arnold Federal and other precedent. Arnold, a federal district court opinion on a motion to suppress evidence, appears to have come out the right way. To add my own 2 cents, why would the fear of contraband be more intense at the border when the speed of information transfer on the internet has made such concerns all but irrelevant?

    --
    Why have 1 person driving a backhoe when you could employ 20 with shovels?
  31. You're mistaken. by raehl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You don't burn tires because burning tires, by itself, does anything. The government doesn't care how many tires you burn. They just shoot you with rubber bullets (or real bullets, or fire hoses) and move on.

    You burn tires because when you burn tires and the government shoots you, you get in the newspaper, and the article talks about what act of the government you found so egregious that you picked a sure-to-lose fight with its better-armed agents.

    There's a reason we don't use fire hoses anymore - and it's not because (directly) it's inhumane. We don't do it because it generates too much press.

    The internet lets you have the same effect as burning tires without having to get shot first. The real media is lazy. They don't want to have to go down to the National Mall every time somebody burns a tire any more than you really want to go down there and burn tires. They would much prefer to sit in their comfy office, read blogs, and report on what people are blogging about. You can get the same press with blogging nowadays as you can get with tire burning.

  32. Re:Proprietary data by Jesus_666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This means that there is less risk involved when a Chinese officer enters your hotel room and makes a copy of your hard drive.
    Damn that happens to me all the time. Hotels in Germany are already considering stopping to give out free skeleton keys to Chinese officers. It's that bad.
    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  33. Has been happening in Israel for years. by $kr1p7_k177y · · Score: 3, Informative

    These same invasive procedures have been in place in Israel for years. If you're "Flagged" by Airport security, they confiscate your Laptop, Phone, and Camera, and proceed to copy all of the media. It's invasive and unjustified - Just an excuse to feed their intelligence machine.

    I guess that's just the cost of "democracy" in the Middle East.

  34. Encrypt Everything by mlwmohawk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is the SECOND time I've posted this advice:

    Use Linux
    Use and encrytped drive.
    Have a "functional" environment that is unencrypted that has nothing more challenging than an email about how you think U.S. government is doing everything right and how the shrub is gods ear piece.

    We need to do what the French did in WWII. When the Nazi's ask for your papers, make sure you show them nice pleasant things. Transmit everything back and forth over the internet (encrypted locally).

    The Nazi movement, or The Nazis began to take over the USA starting with Roy Cohn and Senator McCarthy in the '50s, through Nixon, Reagan, Bush I/II.

    Can ANYONE dispute that this description:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism

    Does not describe what is becoming of the U.S.A, the U.K. and a lesser extent the rest of Europe?

    The irony is that while Hitler and his armies were defeated in WWII, the power brokers and players that created him live on in power.

    1. Re:Encrypt Everything by Zak3056 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The Nazi movement, or The Nazis began to take over the USA starting with Roy Cohn and Senator McCarthy in the '50s, through Nixon, Reagan, Bush I/II.

      You're delusional.

      Not because of the point you're raising (I believe it's a valid one, though I would not use the word "nazi" to describe what is happening) but because you mentioned every republican administration after Eisenhower and left out every democratic administration. You're ignoring the fact that democrats controlled congress for most of the period that you're talking about, and that significant attacks on civil liberties occurred with a democrat in the white house.

      Face it, both of the major political parties in the US are responsible for what has been happening. Both of them will eventually lead us to the same place. I honestly don't know how you could have made the statement you did without realizing this...unless you are one of those people that believes that Barack Obama is going to magically change everything for the better?

      --
      What part of "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?
    2. Re:Encrypt Everything by mlwmohawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Remember, even paranoids have enemies. Ridiculing an idea is much easier than disputing it.

    3. Re:Encrypt Everything by MrKaos · · Score: 2, Insightful

      unless you are one of those people that believes that Barack Obama is going to magically change everything for the better
      It's hard to believe that the race for president is anything more than who will be the CEO of America Inc. America has enviable legal structures to protect the citizenry, but even Benjamin Franklin (basically) said that the constitution would not save America from despotism forever.

      Participation in democracy should be the DUTY of every person who lives in it, not floating around a feeble 20% of the population, how can democracy even function with so few people participating. The saddest thing is, so few people even care. Freedom is a fragile thing and has to be maintained.

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  35. what is to stop by doginthewoods · · Score: 2, Interesting

    some one with, say a mac laptop, from putting a malicious PC virus on their laptop, & letting the screeners copy that to their databanks?

    --
    Republican leadership = Idiocracy
  36. Full disk encryption perhaps not so good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lots of people here have suggested using encryption etc. I was feeling rather smug with my new laptop which has the disk fully encrypted (no partition nonsense either - I boot off a USB stick), but I'm not sure it's a particularly good idea anymore. After all when my laptop is turned on without the USB key in, it gives two loud beeps and an error message about the lack of boot record, which is hardly going to convince your average airport security that your laptop is working and isn't a bomb! Then I have to try and explain why i need to plug my USB stick in etc. When I do and suddenly the laptop/bomb is "activated" with pages of scrolling technical looking text I fully expect to get shot...

    So I think I'm going to put a liveCD in the drive before I next travel!

  37. Nothing random about invasions by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 2, Informative

    We care more about how you randomly invade countries without reason, how you try to enforce your local laws and policy on weaker nations, and things like that.

    Justifications may have needed some work in some cases but there is nothing random about US invasions, no lack of reasons. Popular reasons in reason history consisted of the spread of communism and shooting at us.

    Irag II: Saddam had WMD (used it on Kurdish villagers in the 80s). Was required to get rid of it (90s), but failed to do so under UN supervision or to properly document it so that the UN could verify after the fact. The US didn't want to take Saddam's word on it, and didn't trust in the UN's ability to discover the truth in the face of non-cooperation. Saddam wanted enemies to think that he may still have it, that would be a deterrent. His plan backfired. The truth of the matter is that no one really knew for sure until after the invasion and there were thousands of US boots on the ground going into every lab and palace. The fact that nothing was found, that the US got the unexpected answer, does not change the fact that short of such unfettered access we would have no answer. Saddam also had a tendency to shoot at US aircraft, not justification in itself but it does help to set a certain mood with regard to overall relations and level of trust.

    Afghanistan: The people behind 9/11 were here, and they were being protected by the government.

    Iraq I: They invaded Kuwait, were told to leave, and did not. Even the UN blessed this one.

    Grenada: Communists building a runway capable of handling long range Soviet bombers. The spread of communism was feared.

    South Vietnam: Communist North Vietnam fostering a civil war in the South, and invaded the South to a degree. The spread of communism was feared.

    South Korea: Communist North Korea invaded the south. The UN blessed this one. The US also feared the spread of communism.

    1. Re:Nothing random about invasions by The+Spoonman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Irag II: Saddam had WMD (used it on Kurdish villagers in the 80s).

      Like a true American, you not only spelled the name of the country wrong (and the Freudian subtlety of the misspelling is particularly telling), you forgot to mention a) why the US did nothing about that back in the 80s aside from affirming our "friendship" to Saddam and giving him another $1 billion in military aid right after and b) where Saddam had gotten the technology for that gas and its means of distribution. (I'll give you a hint: you were trying to defend that country's "honor")

      The spread of communism was feared.

      And, what happens when the spread of American-brand "democracy" is feared? It's only so long before everyone gets tired of having "freedom" bombed into them.

      --
      Which is more painful? Going to work or gouging your eye out with a spoon? Find out!
      http://www.workorspoon.com
    2. Re:Nothing random about invasions by Draknor · · Score: 2, Informative

      Justifications may have needed some work in some cases but there is nothing random about US invasions, no lack of reasons. Popular reasons in reason history consisted of the spread of communism and shooting at us.

      The problem with this argument / logic is that the United States (via its administrations & intelligence agencies) is guilty of even worse transgressions, so other countries have more than adequate justification for attacking us.

      Justification / rationalizations may sound good when pitching the story to popular media, but aren't good for long-term stability. "Eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind" - at some we've got to stop poking eyes out, even if we can justify it.

      Need some examples of US action that other countries could (have?) use for justification of military/terrorist action against the US? Check out this sobering list of CIA "secret mercenary armies".

    3. Re:Nothing random about invasions by hal9000(jr) · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Irag II: Saddam had WMD (used it on Kurdish villagers in the 80s). Was required to get rid of it (90s), but failed to do so under UN supervision or to properly document it so that the UN could verify after the fact.

      Sonny, as an American, I can tell you have been drinking the Kool-aid far too long. Did you not watch the events leading upto and after the Iraq invasion? Yah know, where they couldn't find evidence of WMD's? A little fact like that just might piss some people off.

      Here is my little paranoid fantasy of why the US invaded Iraq. First, there is oil. The US has enough, but the powers that be want more. Second, there is this little quote by President George W. Bush: "After all, this is the guy that tried to kill my dad at one time." Thus a personal vendetta that has killed thousands of American solders. Killed many, many more Iraqi civilians. Left a wake of casualties.

      Wake the fuck up.

    4. Re:Nothing random about invasions by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Irag II: Saddam had WMD (used it on Kurdish villagers in the 80s). Like a true American, you not only spelled the name of the country wrong (and the Freudian subtlety of the misspelling is particularly telling)

      Why attribute malice when overzealous software and a lack of proofreading will do? The original typo is "raq", which gets autocorrected to "rag", and the missing "I" is manually added without noting the preceding change.

      There is no Freudian slip since Saddam is not Iraq. The territory of Iraq and its people represent one of the births of agriculture, one of the births of civilization, one of the births of a written legal system based upon fairness, etc. I've viewed the nation and people of Iraq as more of Saddam's victims for decades, not his willing accomplices.

      I think if this conversation tells us anything about bias it is clearly telling us about yours, not mine.

      you forgot to mention a) why the US did nothing about that back in the 80s aside from affirming our "friendship" to Saddam and giving him another $1 billion in military aid right after and b) where Saddam had gotten the technology for that gas and its means of distribution.

      Even if true they are off topic. The fact remains that the US invasion was not a random event. The potential threat existed. Even if one accepts your position one could argue that the US more morally obliged to clean up the mess it created. In any case, not random.

    5. Re:Nothing random about invasions by a_nonamiss · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You know, I don't agree with this guy one bit, but how is this modded troll? Just because people don't agree with his opinion? I troll mod should be reserved for "FIRST POST!!!", people from the GNAA or someone who says "All you liberals suck! GO USA!!!" His opinion, while disagreeable to some, is still valid.

      --
      -Arthur
      Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
    6. Re:Nothing random about invasions by sholden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So "you haven't proved you don't" is good enough to invade a sovereign country. I guess that meshes well with "you can't prove you're not" being good enough to send you off to an offshore jail for some "interrogation".

    7. Re:Nothing random about invasions by hal9000(jr) · · Score: 3, Informative
      I think you are overemotional and failing to recognize the classic armchair quarterbacking that you are engaging in.

      Duly noted. I get upset about the senseless loss of life. :-|

      However, since the start of the war, there have been numerous reports that the Administration misled the American people by inflating the threat. Here is a quote from one such source. Administration officials systematically misrepresented the threat from Iraq's WMD and ballistic missile programs, beyond the intelligence failures noted above, by:
      • Treating nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons as a single "WMD threat."
      • The conflation of three distinct threats, very different in the danger they pose, distorted the cost/benefit analysis of the war. (p. 52)
      • Insisting without evidence--yet treating as a given truth--that Saddam Hussein would give whatever WMD he possessed to terrorists. (p. 52)
      • Routinely dropping caveats, probabilities, and expressions of uncertainty present in intelligence assessments from public statements. (p. 53)
      • Misrepresenting inspectors' findings in ways that turned threats from minor to dire. (p. 53)
      Here are a bunch of other reports as well.
    8. Re:Nothing random about invasions by Scrameustache · · Score: 2

      The fear that Saddam may still possess WMD was real prior to the invasion. Not according to the inspectors. You know, the people who were actually there, actually looking for them, and assuring Bush that he was wrong to think so.

      The UN's failure to find evidence of current WMD did not *prove* the absense of WMD. Until you provide *proof* that you aren't a child molester, I'll just assume that you are, you dirty perv.
      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    9. Re:Nothing random about invasions by The+Spoonman · · Score: 3, Informative

      Clinton didn't do anything about terrorist attacks while he was in office:

      I realize "facts" are the antithesis of the 'pub agenda, but your spin is so weak...

      1) the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center

      Four followers of the Egyptian cleric Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman were captured, convicted of the World Trade Center bombing in March 1994, and sentenced to 240 years in prison each. The purported mastermind of the plot, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, was captured in 1995, convicted of the bombing in November 1997, and also sentenced to 240 years in prison. One additional suspect fled the U.S. and is believed to be living in Baghdad.

      2) the Khobar Towers attack

      the U.S. investigation was hampered by the refusal of Saudi officials to allow the FBI to question suspects. On 21 June 2001, just before the American statute of limitations would have expired, a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicted thirteen Saudis and an unidentified Lebanese chemist for the Khobar Towers bombing. The suspects remain in Saudi custody, beyond the reach of the American justice system. (Saudi Arabia has no extradition treaty with the U.S.)

      3) the August 7, 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania

      Four participants with ties to Osama bin Laden were captured, convicted in U.S. federal court, and sentenced to life in prison without parole in October 2001. Fourteen other suspects indicted in the case remain at large, and three more are fighting extradition in London.

      4) and the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole.

      No suspects have yet been arrested or indicted. The investigation has been hampered by the refusal of Yemini officials to allow FBI agents access to Yemeni nationals and other suspects in custody in Yemen.

      But, let's be clear: By December 21 the CIA had made a "preliminary judgment" that "al Qaeda appeared to have supported the attack," with no "definitive conclusion."

      In other words, with only days left in office, Clinton still didn't know who was responsible for the attack. It was left to the next bumbling president to follow through. And, as of yet, he has not. Also, under U.S. law, an attack against a military target does not meet the legal definition of terrorism.

      Bush, on the other hand, did react.

      Yes, he attacked a country that really wasn't involved and then attacked another country later that had even less to do with the attack. So, really, not the best points to be making. Oh, and where's Osama? Gee, Dubya made damn sure to clean up daddy's messes, but hasn't really done anything positive for his own country.

      at least when civilians are killed by the US military it is by accident and not on purpose unlike the cowards who attack the US.

      Oh, that's ok then. I'm sure all of those orphaned children over there will see it that way and maybe they WILL see us as liberators?!

      --
      Which is more painful? Going to work or gouging your eye out with a spoon? Find out!
      http://www.workorspoon.com
  38. Re:I don't travel myself... by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Informative

    So long as it's under $10,000 US you're ok. If it's over 10k, you just have to declare it - fill out a form stating what business you're in, why you're carrying so much cash/cheques/bearer bonds etc, and exactly what you plan on doing with it/them, where you will be staying, etc. Then you get asked a couple questions by the customs officer, and that's it.

    If you DON'T declare it and they find out, then kiss it goodbye. You broke the law, so they take the money.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  39. It's Customs, Not TSA by Snowdog · · Score: 3, Informative

    As the article states and the TSA has noted on their blog, the searches and confiscations are being conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not the Transportation Security Administration.

    (Not that that makes it right, but it helps to identify the correct culprit when complaining to the powers that be or even when just spreading the story.)

  40. Re:Corporate Data and Spying by TarPitt · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Truth is, this is likely to encourage companies to a: use a securId on their computers or b: not to put corporate data on the computer and make it only accessible via a corporate VPN.

    They've already got that one covered:

    In 2003 AT&T built "secret rooms" hidden deep in the bowels of its central offices in various cities, housing computer gear for a government spy operation which taps into the company's popular WorldNet service and the entire internet. These installations enable the government to look at every individual message on the internet and analyze exactly what people are doing. Documents showing the hardwire installation in San Francisco suggest that there are similar locations being installed in numerous other cities.


    http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/05/70908

    I think it is reasonable to assume most commercially available VPN-based encryption (as well as TLS/SSL) can be broken by the NSA. Even if this is not the case, traffic analysis based on unencrypted headers can reveal a lot about what is being communicated to whom.

    If I were just a bit more paranoid, I'd say the point of laptop confiscation is to force commercial entities to use easily broken commercial crypto over communications lines that are already heavily wiretapped.
    --
    If your children ever found out how lame you are, they'd murder you in your sleep
  41. 2008 Campaign by PPH · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, why aren't more people asking the various presidential candidates what they intend to do to restore the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the rule of law once elected to office?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  42. Re:Shouldda Waited by Kjella · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Don't get ahead of yourself. It was a federal magistrate in Vermont that gave that ruling, not the Supreme Court. We have no idea what the SCOTUS would do in such a situation... especially if it involves child pornography. They've been known to make exceptions to the Constitution when it comes to child pornography. That case is rather wierd, but in the general case you don't know what's on the computer you request access to. It's one thing to say child pornography isn't protected under the first amendment, it's quite another to give police blanket permission to demand all your passwords because it might, without any form of suspicion, contain child pornography.
    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  43. I work for a company that does classified work by TarPitt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    and after 9/11 when these restrictions were put into place, we were forbidden by company policy from taking any classified documents or other classified material with us on board commercial flights for just this reason.

    We have to send it in advance via secure courier now.

    Which leads me to believe the TSA doesn't care if you stuff is labeled "classified", they will go ahead and search it anyway

    --
    If your children ever found out how lame you are, they'd murder you in your sleep
  44. We're lazy by michaelmalak · · Score: 2, Insightful
    We in the U.S. are fed a steady diet of public education, American Idol, and high fructose corn syrup. I.e. we're lazy. Before the Internet, we couldn't have been bothered to even go to the library, not that there would be any information there after the government (which owns the library) sanitized it. The Internet has woken up 10% of the U.S. population. Blogging is hard work and takes a lot of research. A whole new generation is educating themselves, where public schools had tried to dumb them down. Young people, who get there news from Internet, told their parents about Ron Paul, who did not.

    The Internet is in the process of saving the U.S. from its century of tyranny. The only question is whether it will be soon enough. East Germans knew better, but by the time they did, it was too late.

    Ron Paul was a skirmish in the war for freedom. The next battle is paper ballots, and at least here in Colorado, at least for 2008, we'll have paper due to overwhelming public outcry for it. The next battle after that is to actually elect a defender of liberty using said paper ballots, by which time a larger percentage of the population should be getting its news from the Internet.

  45. U.S. is the mothership of banana republics. by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Is this the United States or some banana republic?

    Being that the term 'banana republic' came into existence as a direct result of U.S. foreign policy and illegal wars, it should come as no surprise that one would find the parent specimens of such abusive practices in the land which created them.

    The U.S. used its foreign policy and semi-secret operations to crush budding democratic nations in order to reward American business, in this case, sugar and banana plantation owners, who basically wanted to use slave labor rather than pay fair wages to the locals. It still happens today. Venezuela is currently undergoing the same treatment where the U.S. government, big business and the CIA are doing everything in their power to cast Chavez as a villain and install a pro-American business military government. They're probably going to get away with it, too. The media in Venezuela are all pro-evil, big media owners being what they are. Chavez wanted the peasantry to own their own land and have a say in politics, have access to decent schooling and medical care and generally get out from under the boot heel of slavery. The horror! It's bad for business when your peasants are educated and strong. --Research the story, but stay away from the big American news outlets to do it; they're all a bunch of whores.

    If U.S. business and government are going to use such practices abroad, then you'd better believe that they're going to try to get away with as much of the same thing at home as they possibly can.

    So yes, the U.S. IS some banana republic. It's the mother ship of banana republics. Don't let all the shiny formed plastic fool you.


    -FL

  46. Re:Shouldda Waited by OMNIpotusCOM · · Score: 2, Funny

    Terrorists are bringing kiddie porn to our borders? Those sonsabitches.

  47. On data encryption by Fuji+Kitakyusho · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The importance of encrypting your data cannot be overstated. Even if you are not travelling with valuable intellectual property, the fact remains that most personal and business computers contain a wealth of information suitable for datamining. The oft quoted sentiment "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear." misses the point - I DO have something to hide - everything, in fact. Nothing criminal or otherwise illegitimate, but in the interest of privacy, I have no desire to disseminate the details of my associations, my business activity, my financial transactions, my personal communications, my sexual activities, my political opinions or even what I had for breakfast this morning, to any party for whom that information was not intended. Ergo, I make a point of storing sensitive information (intellectual property, etc.) in strongly encrypted files, and then nesting those along with everything else within a fully encrypted drive. If I were particularly paranoid (and I'm paranoid enough to have thought of it, but as yet not so much as to have implemented it), I could ensure that the relevant cryptographic keys are unknown to me and only able to be retrieved either from my client or from my office remotely. I understand that this thread has to do with confiscation of hardware, and that in of itself is certainly annoying, and perhaps unpreventable barring a significant change of law; however, the value of a laptop computer is limited, and the hardware itself is replaceable. The same cannot be said of the data carried on it, and in the event my laptop is confiscated, lost or stolen, I would like the worst-case scenario to be that I or my company is out the replacement cost of the hardware only, without having to worry about trade secrets being compromised, identity theft, data mining for nefarious purposes or unauthorized dissemination of contact information. I run a dual-boot machine with Debian GNU/Linux and Windows XP Professional. If you really want to be entertained, watch an airport security "professional" try to navigate around a system with X disabled.

  48. Illusion of Security... by nexuspal · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How long would it take, say if you were driving at 50mph, to get through the airport fence, with a van full of people with ak's, all timed to the departure time of say 3 747's, and board the planes, fully armed, with explosives? That's the real threat imo...

    --
    I've read Slashdot for the last 5 years, and now I start posting... Go figure :-P
  49. simple solution by Tom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Don't travel to the US.

    There is no way I'm going to hand over my passwords to a just-above-minimum-wage dofus. Not if it means I can't take that flight. Not going to happen. Since by whatever perverse application of your totaliarian laws they can force me to, the only solution is to avoid the US the same way anyone with a sane mind avoids any other place where the insane rule.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  50. My Experience by Skythe · · Score: 2, Informative

    Australian citizen - went for a holiday in Bali with a friend and his family (who stayed at a different hotel). Australian customs on the way home said that they "needed to check my phone" to make sure it wasn't a stolen device etc etc. Found out later that they got my friend to go through every single one of his photos and i presume this is why i spent 30 minutes waiting for mine. They also opened up a sealed mouse that i bought over there with a USB Bluetooth dongle to check it. My friends laptop got confiscated for no apparent reason because they needed to check it (going to be sent back). His older brother (who was on an earlier flight)'s hard drive got confiscated for some porn on it. Anyway, nothing to add to the discussion except my experience over here.

  51. Re:exactly my point by bug · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Um... why should I, as an at-will employee, shoulder the burden of this for my employer? If I were ever arrested at an airport for refusal to comply with Customs orders, my employer would have the briefest feelings of sympathy for my plight... before firing me. That would leave me arrested, possibly charged with a federal crime, and unemployed to boot.

    I like my job, and I like the company that I work for. However, I'm not about to go to jail for them or anyone else.

  52. Don't let them confiscate your laptop! by P1h3r1e3d13 · · Score: 2, Informative
    From the TSA's blog (http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/02/rumor-alert-laptops.html):

    TSA does not and will not confiscate laptops or other electronic devices at our checkpoints.... We will not ask for any password, access to any files or take the laptop from you for longer than it takes to determine if it contains a threat. Should anyone at a TSA checkpoint attempt to confiscate your laptop or gain your passwords or other information, please ask to see a supervisor or screening manager immediately.
    That's TSA policy folks.
  53. What is this fascination with airports? by quintessentialk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As I wondered on another thread: What is this fascination with airports? Why don't the terrorists just blow up a mall or grocery store somewhere? There'd be no security to speak of, no need for identification, and it would get people in a more 'everyday' environment, which is much more personal than flying (something many of us probably don't do every day, or even every year).

  54. Remote Data Storage is the Answer to Privacy by Ron+Bennett · · Score: 2

    Examining / seizing laptops is nothing new - there have been numerous discussions on GFY.com (adult webmasters forum) over the years about people who got snared due to posessing various adult oriented text / images by Customs of various countries - not just the U.S., but also Canada and elsewhere.

    The safest course of action is to store data remotely whenever possible - with the internet, here and there makes no difference ... for documents / email, which is most often what people need on business, it's nearly just as easy to access that data from a secure remote server...

    Not 100% fool-proof, but remote data storage raises the bar quite a bit - greatly reduces the risk of problems with Customs ... they are more likely to let the laptop quickly pass-through, if all they find is a Windows default install with a few mundane documents in the document folder, etc.

    Ron

  55. Re:Nothing random by http · · Score: 2, Informative
    This has to be said explicitly rather than hinted at. That's an idiotic statement.

    "It is rational to consider future enemy capabilities and try to preempt them."
    You might get upset at me for holding a different opinion than you, and you might figure out how to weild a knife and become my enemy; is rational that I cut off both your hands right now? That should preempt you. How about because I might learn how to build a neutron bomb (I already know the math, but not the construction techniques), you break my lathe (fashioned primitively in my backyard) before I even start?

    It wasn't preemption, it was murder. Operation Iraqi Freedom scanned a whole lot better than Largest Act of War Ever Even Counting What We Threw At Bin Laden. The decision to invade Iraq was made with the knowledge that the Iraqi standing army posed no serious threat to anyone. Period. Don't take my word for it, take Colin Powell's.

    You bring up the weak Iraqi missile program, and then explain why it wouldn't have been needed to deliver `WMD'. Drop one letter grade right there. Perhaps you didn't know that the missle program existed mostly on the back of cocktail napkins after initial attempts to break the 150 km limit were discovered and destroyed, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/01/07/AR2005040204936_5.html. But you completely forgot to mention that there were no WMD in Iraq at the time of the invasion, nor any long range missiles, and officials in both the White House and the Pentagon knew it.

    --
    If opportunity came disguised as temptation, one knock would be enough.
    3^2 * 67^1 * 977^1
  56. Bush deceit and other complicity by evought · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It was the perfect political opportunity. There was no down side. If WMD is found claim credit. If WMD is not found claim you were deceived.

    The Bush Administration deceived first, then tried to rationalize. Not the other way around. For deceit to work, it has to be hidden. That the deceit is coming out now is just a natural progression of history. I think part of the point is that Congress went along with the plan without doing any real fact checking, asking any tough questions, or really even discussing anything. They just made pretty speeches and signed on the dotted line. And this is exactly in line with what the GP is saying: folks in Congress saw no downside; they could just blame Bush either way. Whether the blame is *deserved* is irrelevant to *that* question; Congress had the opportunity to avoid the situation and are now jumping up and down about how it wasn't "their fault" (except for the ones still saying "Gee, what a nice day this is!".) It is their *job* to be suspicious and not write blank checks. If Bush fooled them, they failed that job.
  57. Re:Knoppix - leave the HD home by webweave · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've done the Knoppix thing for many years, very handy when traveling. I've never had a laptop "stolen" but I've been asked a number of times to open it up and turn it on. They did not recognize the mac start up routine and I had to wait for a full boot to convince them. Now I just replaced the mac boot image screen with the windows desktop image and I'm off.

    Thanks for this article /. , I'm never going to bring anything but a freshly rebuilt laptop with only the data I need into the USA.