Soldato
Hi just arrived in NYC carried my psp,usb stick,and camera i am not white no worries thu customs.
US Border patrol....anyone had anything seized?
- Thread starter antonusklesk
- Start date
Soldato
This is not silly, it DOES happen. They have recently published the "guidelines" which pretty much say they can take any laptop of you for pretty much no reason at all, keep it as long as they want, send it where ever they want, give it to whoever they want.
I have not heard of this being applied to non-laptops (i.e. just electronic devices) and it is not at all common (even if you have a beard, have "al" in your name and look at all non-white). The rules are there so it could happen, but you can be pretty certain it won't!
Bruce Schneier wrote about it (If I remember his covereage seemed a little over the top) http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/08/us_government_p.html
I have not heard of this being applied to non-laptops (i.e. just electronic devices) and it is not at all common (even if you have a beard, have "al" in your name and look at all non-white). The rules are there so it could happen, but you can be pretty certain it won't!
Bruce Schneier wrote about it (If I remember his covereage seemed a little over the top) http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/08/us_government_p.html
Soldato
I guess say if someone moved from the UK to the US, it would be a BAD idea to take your current PC and all that over there no? As it could be siezed, and say if you happend to have downloaded games and movies, they you are basically ****** yea?
I guess it would depend on their copyright laws. Whether possession is enough to prosecute you or not. It doesn't seem hard to fall on the wrong side of the DMCA so yes if they really wanted to get you for something then they could. You could always mail the HDD to yourself! Bruce also talks about ways to avoid it, IP traffic isn't stopped and searched
Associate
One of the points of the rules is that they can give your gear to non government groups or whoever they see fit to be examined or stored until its return. Assuming you get it back of course.
Only ever had things like beef sandwhiches and stuff, which isnt allowed accross the border.
I am travelling to NYC on September 11th though and wonder if i will have to pass through tighter checks?
I find that if you play along with there "i am the almighty" attitude and give them yes sir, thank you sir etc then you don't get bothered.
i once pulled a silly face on the camera from canada to us and got told off though.
I am travelling to NYC on September 11th though and wonder if i will have to pass through tighter checks?
I find that if you play along with there "i am the almighty" attitude and give them yes sir, thank you sir etc then you don't get bothered.
i once pulled a silly face on the camera from canada to us and got told off though.
Man of Honour
They can do it but it's very unusual, there was a big fuss about it initially as there's nothing to stop them taking a laptop, examining confidential data on it (lets say some research work) and passing it on to a government contractor. Nothing to do with terrorism, no legal documentation required...
I very much doubt it would ever happen, particularly with something other than a laptop but it's a concern.
I very much doubt it would ever happen, particularly with something other than a laptop but it's a concern.
Soldato
Don't you have to provide a decryption key if asked?
Doesn't matter because you can nest encryption and it's completley undetectable. So you give them the key which reveals completley innocent data, while the other key reveals the terrorist stuff.
Soldato
What if the guard that day just fancied a new laptop? there must be some legal background that gives the conditions for them to seize equipment. Yes they can take whatever they want but surely they have a rulebook to adhere to, you can't just take something without good reason.
- Joined
- 4 Nov 2007
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Yep well returning on 9/11 it will be interesting to see if there are tighter checks, I am white lol, but I have a Polish surname so here's hoping they don't see fit to frisk me and my wares :/
I'll be sure to post back here when I'm back with the outcome!
I'll be sure to post back here when I'm back with the outcome!
Soldato
I doubt anything will happen as they won't really catch much attention, Polish are quite common in the US, there are a bit over 10 million Poles in the US...
Soldato
You are joking?.