US Border agents can seize electronic devices without much reason - Page 2

Stitchawl · 04-09-2011, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortis

I have always found the Japanese customs people to be very polite and scary at the same time, maybe it's because they are so polite?

Frankly, they scare me too. And some of the things that they've taken away from me amaze me... over-the-counter Vick's Nasal Inhaler, Motorcycle chain degreaser, packaged beef jerkey (made in Japan but bought in Saipan) etc.

Quote:

I was very worried going into Singapore the first time, I had very long hippy hair and because I had a 15 hour layover in LA I looked like a greasy pot smokin hippy too,

S'pore 'used to be' one of those places that would cut off hippy hair back in the 70's. If you wanted to enter the country, you had to let them cut off your long hair!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valentino

I use linux with full disk encryption on my laptop, which is legal in America. They would need a reason to get a search warrant to make me give them the passphrase.

Nah... no need for a search warrant. All they have to do is say 'Sir, do you wish to enter our country, or would you prefer to wait here for the next flight back to where every you came from? It's your choice.' The customs people don't even get worked up about it.

Stitchawl

wyndslash · 04-09-2011, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

The International Airport in Osaka, Japan, has large signs near the customs stations warning people about bringing in counterfeit goods. But they are not looking for ONE counterfeit handbag or ONE counterfeit Rolex, or ONE pirated DVD. They are looking for people who are trafficking in these goods.

I had a client a few years ago who was an attorney for Microsoft. His only job was to prosecute illegal use of pirated Microsoft software. But Microsoft was NOT targeting individual users. They go after corporations using fifty to several hundred computers running illegal software. No one is looking for individual users, except some bummed-out border guard or customs officer whose wife may have shut him off the night before and he's just angry and taking it out where ever he can.

Stitchawl

yeah, i figured the norm was that.

Valentino · 04-09-2011, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortis

I have been where you don't have to be a cop or have a permit to open carry, I don't think its a bad thing

Hmm, I've always been able to open carry. It's in the constitution.

Mortis · 04-09-2011, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valentino

Hmm, I've always been able to open carry. It's in the constitution.

Since I am Canadian, I do not know all the US Carry laws, I only know Montana for sure since I have carried there. What state are you in?

EowynCarter · 04-09-2011, 04:44 AM

I sometime wish I could visit the US. But this kind of thing makes me think twice.

Mortis · 04-09-2011, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I sometime wish I could visit the US. But this kind of thing makes me think twice.

I have always found the US customs to be fairly friendly. I have never had them confiscate anything or really rip apart anything. Only when traveling by car do they get a little weird

Valentino · 04-09-2011, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Nah... no need for a search warrant. All they have to do is say 'Sir, do you wish to enter our country, or would you prefer to wait here for the next flight back to where every you came from? It's your choice.' The customs people don't even get worked up about it.

Stitchawl

Nope. I have no idea why you think that.

Stitchawl · 04-09-2011, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Nah... no need for a search warrant. All they have to do is say 'Sir, do you wish to enter our country, or would you prefer to wait here for the next flight back to where every you came from? It's your choice.' The customs people don't even get worked up about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valentino

Nope. I have no idea why you think that.

Because it's what was done to me.

I was entering the US, the Customs agent said show me your hard drive contents. When I suggested he'd need a warrent to see it, he gave me a choice; either fly back from whence I came, leave my computer with him and enter without it, or show him the contents and be done with it. As I really had nothing to hide, I booted up the computer and turned it towards him.

In today's reality of the Patriot Act, we have absolutely NO protections under the Constitution any more. It's like searches at the airport; you have the choice NOT to be searched or scanned, but then you aren't allowed to fly.

Stitchawl

carpetmojo · 04-09-2011, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortis

I Montana is the only place I have been where you don't have to be a cop or have a permit to open carry,

No licence of any sort ? You can walk down the road with gun showing , like in a holster ?

Crumbs...............

ebusinesstutor · 04-09-2011, 03:48 PM

I should note that the man in question in the first link was a registered sex offender. So they were looking for child porn.

I doubt that the average traveler gets that sort of attention.

There is nothing on my laptops that would be illegal or pirated, so they wouldn't find anything if they looked, but it is definitely a concern as they could find something they thought was wrong and it might take a while to prove it was ok.

So it would be best to take mobile devices that you are not dependent on to run your whole business. If you primarily work from a laptop in your business like I do, perhaps take a tablet or less expensive laptop just for travel and work with cloud documents.

We are very cautious when we go to the US from Canada and back. My wife was a Canadian immigration officer years ago, so we understand the difficulty customs officials face.

We are very up front about where we are going and what we are doing and don't try to hide anything. And we don't do smart alecky remarks. On our way back, we have our declaration forms all ready.

It is just not worth bringing extra attention down on us.

Sweetpea · 04-09-2011, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Customs doesn't give a damn about pirated ebooks. Child porn yes, counterfeit goods yes, illegal drugs yes. Harry Potter ebooks? Please.

There's a deeper issue here. They'll probably won't do a lot if you have a pirated copy of a book. But in the mean time you don't have access to your property, which can cause you distress. It could contain sensitive data, or data you need the next day (because of that meeting which caused you to travel across the border).

I get the feeling (as an outsider) that the US is more and more the country of a paranoid government who, despite their words, think that everybody is guilty unless proven innocent.

SameOldStory · 04-09-2011, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valentino

I use linux with full disk encryption on my laptop, which is legal in America. They would need a reason to get a search warrant to make me give them the passphrase. I'm not hiding anything but It's always nice to be secure and not have to worry about anything like this.

We can compile a kernel module for our ereaders and can encrypt our documents folder as well and not have to worry about it.

"Officer, you don't need me to give you the passwords to my computer files. Honest, they're just me personal files."

That'll work just fine.

Why not raise a red flag and wave it back and forth in their faces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valentino

Hmm, I've always been able to open carry. It's in the constitution.

Sorry to pick on you. Nothing personal. But....

Where are you from. Not the US I'm thinking.

In some places, what you said is kinda true. In Virginia it is true. In New York City, you're dead meat and nothing will happen to the cop that shoots you dead. Aside from administrative leave for a little while.

SameOldStory · 04-09-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

No licence of any sort ? You can walk down the road with gun showing , like in a holster ?

Crumbs...............

In the states that have it, it's called open carry. If your shirt comes loose and covers it, you'll be arrested unless you don't have a concealed carry permit.

SameOldStory · 04-09-2011, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

I should note that the man in question in the first link was a registered sex offender. So they were looking for child porn.

Registered sex offender. Computer not only password protected, but with encrypted files, beyond the laptops password.

That looks like a no-brainer to me.

================================================== =========

Just a side note.
If you have good internet access where you're going you can leave your laptop at home.

Plug it into a good battery back-up, and set up internet access. There are plenty of easy ways like GoToMyPC.

There are even free options that you can use.

If it's a business trip tell them that you need a loaner laptop.

OtterBooks · 04-09-2011, 06:44 PM

Just put all your illicit ebooks onto a flash drive, wrap it in a balloon and swallow it.

04-09-2011, 04:44 AM	#20
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,332 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	I sometime wish I could visit the US. But this kind of thing makes me think twice. Last edited by EowynCarter; 04-09-2011 at 04:48 AM.

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04-09-2011, 03:48 PM	#25
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I should note that the man in question in the first link was a registered sex offender. So they were looking for child porn. I doubt that the average traveler gets that sort of attention. There is nothing on my laptops that would be illegal or pirated, so they wouldn't find anything if they looked, but it is definitely a concern as they could find something they thought was wrong and it might take a while to prove it was ok. So it would be best to take mobile devices that you are not dependent on to run your whole business. If you primarily work from a laptop in your business like I do, perhaps take a tablet or less expensive laptop just for travel and work with cloud documents. We are very cautious when we go to the US from Canada and back. My wife was a Canadian immigration officer years ago, so we understand the difficulty customs officials face. We are very up front about where we are going and what we are doing and don't try to hide anything. And we don't do smart alecky remarks. On our way back, we have our declaration forms all ready. It is just not worth bringing extra attention down on us.

04-09-2011, 06:44 PM	#30
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	Just put all your illicit ebooks onto a flash drive, wrap it in a balloon and swallow it.

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