Airport Electronics Searches Truly Troubling
Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:50AM EST
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A series of events at international airport security checkpoints -- and not just the all-gadgets-out-of-bags issue that Ben reported last week -- are troubling privacy and civil liberties advocates.
In the last few months, travelers have found their cell phones and laptops seized by officials, at least temporarily. In at least one case, an engineer was asked to turn on the PC, enter his password, and allow agents to copy a record of all the web sites he had visited on the machine. The laptop was then taken away from him altogether.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Asian Law Caucus filed a lawsuit last week to demand that the government disclose border search policies regarding electronic devices. At least two dozen incidents have now been logged, 15 of which involved officers searching records of cell phone calls, files on laptops, and even the contents of MP3 players. Almost all involve "travelers of Muslim, Middle Eastern or South Asian background, many of whom... are concerned they were singled out because of racial or religious profiling."
Some travelers never receive their equipment back at all. Just imagine having to change all your passwords while your laptop is impounded by U.S. Customs. You may take every step possible to protect your data from hackers and viruses, but that'll do you no good if your computer gets taken away from you wholesale.
The issues extend beyond personal privacy and security concerns, too. In several cases, travelers have been visiting the U.S. with company-issued laptops carrying trade secrets and other proprietary information. In response, one company is now sending travelers to the U.S. with "blank laptops" that contain no data on them. All files have to be accessed via the Internet instead.
Just imagine the uproar should one of those seized laptops contain millions of customer records, credit card numbers, and Social Security numbers.
Alas, I'm not expecting much resolution on this issue. Despite repeated complaints and lawsuits against heavy-handed security tactics, TSA and Customs officials have never faced much more than a slap on the wrist, if that.
Given the current paranoia over border security, this is a trend that, I'm betting, actually gets worse before it gets better. Something to keep in mind if you're heading overseas.
Comments on Airport Electronics Searches Truly Troubling
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2 Posted by kevincarrelli on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse
I noticed this in November 2007 at ORD. There was an agent that in the customs hall, just before the declarations line, that was stopping as many people as he could and taking their mobile phones from them. He only kept each phone for
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3 Posted by koukli12002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse
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4 Posted by rayvr@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse
This is searching without a warrant and that's OK with this Republican administration. They have no constitutional right to do this. For one thing I don't see the connection between such searches (on phones and computers) and SAFETY of the flight. That's the only reason for these peoples existence -- SAFETY of passengers
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5 Posted by dawnbaranski on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:38PM EDT Report Abuse
rayvr - first of all, border search authority does not require a warrant and has nothing to do with this administration. Second, Customs searches belongings AFTER the flight,not for safety of the flight but for safety of the COUNTRY. If you don't have even your most basic facts straight - stay off the keyboard.
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6 Posted by philbautista on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:09PM EDT Report Abuse
dawnbaranski has it right. I'm not American but I have to admit that Customs and Immigration are controlling what gets into your country for the safety and security of your country, not the convenience of its citizens or guests. Checking of tech gadgets is the border patrol's way of protecting the property rights of companies like microsoft from people bringing in pirated software and cloned hardware from abroad. I'm not, in any way, commenting on its justice or efficiency, just on its purpose. Furthermore, what I just cited was merely an example. There may be other purposes for why they do what they do.
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7 Posted by analogdb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse
I travel extensively, but was also present in New York City as the fires burned...If the general public had any idea of just how much anti-American material was being brought into our country every day, and really understood the underlying intentions of so many "outsiders", then the REAL American citizens would WELCOME the security checks, and so called "profiling". With all the fervor about what the Govt' did, or did not know prior to 9-11, the more information they can gather, the better!. Just take a look at how many internal, and external spies have been aprehended with American military secrets, nuclear construction plans, even detailed floor plans of the Whitehouse and other gov't and military buildings.....I say "KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK"...a person with truly nothing to hide, has nothing to be worried about, so let the search anyone, anytime!
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8 Posted by wsterpstra@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:51PM EDT Report Abuse
I don't think it right that the airport administration ,is allowed to copy anything of anyone computers. Also let alone taking things that don't belong to them . A couple of times a few things of our came up missing. That just not right. If we complain than we have the strip search every time we go through the line . each and every time we are search . I think they just look for our name , no matter were we go .
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9 Posted by bbaa1376 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse
Its any americans right to beleave anything they want too. Be it be religious or political, it is not the governments right to know these details, I'm all for america but I do not agree with "the Bush administrations" polices they've set and try to sneak past us the american public including these obviously illegal searches and seizures of personal electronics.
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10 Posted by dr_dredd01 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse
philbautista, what the heck are you smoking? Customs and Immigration are controlling what gets into the country for safety and security? For Chrissakes, they let in a guy with a virulent form of TB last year, and that was AFTER his name showed up on a "no-entry" list! They should concentrate less on thug tactics like searching computers and more on common sense policies like following their own instructions. analogdb: I was also in NYC, but I happen to value my privacy. If you don't have anything to hide, then surely you wouldn't mind a full body cavity search every day. Just to be certain, you know.
1 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
I had to do this back in December of last year. In November they had notices posted in airports saying that they were going to begin this new policy in a few weeks. In December it had already been implemented. I dont know why people think this is "new" or "arbitrary" - they announced it way ahead of time - I think that people dont READ is the real problem here.