TSA and Computers......

[sail7seas]

I just heard a news clip on Fox News announcing that Homeland Security has announced it will start randomly confiscating laptops at the borders to check for security issues.

 

No probable cause required; no suspicion attached to the person from whom they confiscate.

 

This applies to International travel so far as I understood from the news report. Not for domestic travel according to that report.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I heard something about that about a week ago.

 

It's one thing for them to randomly check computers but to confiscate them -- business men are going to be really upset over this.

[jtl513]

start randomly confiscating laptops at the borders to check for security issues.

It's one thing for them to randomly check computers but to confiscate them -- business men are going to be really upset over this.

They won't keep them permanently, of course, but who knows how long they would hold them for checking. Yes, that could really foul-up business travelers who need them!

 

Business people could probably have them pre-screened like they do now at many airports, where they register people to allow bypassing the mass lines. (I forget the name for that. It costs something like $100 to get yourself pre-registered.)

[GmaPajama]

I read a report on that online this morning. Sure makes a good case for us "leisure" travelers to have a separate, personal data free, computer for trips.

 

Big brother is really closing in on us. :(

[localady]

That is truly insane. :rolleyes:

No probable cause??? :mad:

You are right GmaPajama, Big Brother is beginning to smother us.:mad:

[kenish]

There was a piece about this on Good Morning America. They also said cell phones can be confiscated too, and TSA can keep items as long as they wish before returning them.

 

TSA's "data mining" laptops has been going on for about a month, but some privacy and business groups seemed to be the only ones paying attention until this morning.

[Copper10-8]

Somehow I doubt very much that John Q businessman and/or John Q vacationer/tourist and his family are going to be very much affected by this. I think it's more geared towards..........OK, get ready, are you siting down?........."profiling":eek: certain individuals that just don't "look right" when entering the good old U.S. of A and/or certain "circumstances" that bear further investigation

 

OK, lemmie have it!;)

[GmaPajama]

I think your insight is probably right-on, Copper.

No flaming from this old grandma!

[sail7seas]

Just for the sake of conversation.....

 

Isn't it possible John Q. Vacationer could get caught into it just so there will not be an appearance of profiling?

They can have my laptop. They would be shocked silly with all my cruising and heart health links. :D

 

[Copper10-8]

Just for the sake of conversation.....

 

Isn't it possible John Q. Vacationer could get caught into it just so there will not be an appearance of profiling?

They can have my laptop. They would be shocked silly with all my cruising and heart health links. :D

 

 

Yes, that is always possible, S7S but, IMHO;), the fall-out of complaints when all these "innocent" folks get their PC's taken away would not be a day at the beach for TSA, an agency btw, that does not enjoy a real "warm and fuzzy" reputation anyway

[papadave]

Privacy issues aside (because that is what really gets to me when this subject comes up) this is one of the things that is highly unlikely to have an impact on your trip. You could lose your luggage, or your passport, or forget you cell phone at home, or break your leg getting out of a car, but none of these things happens to most people. While I'm not saying that thinking about this is a complete waste of time, it probably will not come up in your travels. Have a nice, worry-free, cruise.

[sail7seas]

Yes, you're right and you do put it into perspective. Thanks.

 

Just seems travel becomes more unpleasant every day in one way or another. None of this is going to make it easy for cruise lines to get through these economically challenging times.

 

[CruiserKid]

There seems to be some mix-up about confiscating lap tops and cell phones without probable cause. Here's a link to TSA's web site that addresses this rumor:

 

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/02/rumor-alert-laptops.html

[Halfmoonfan]

It is not TSA that is seizing computers, PDAs, digital cameras, memory devices or other electronic devices, but rather US Customers. TSA does not meet the ship when it returns to a US port but rather Customs, same thing when one returns to the US from an international flight.

 

TSA will inspect your laptop before you board a flight to make sure you it is not a bomb. Customs has the right to seize you laptop if they believe you may be involved in indusial espionage, child pornography, etc. I believe this is happening more at airports than anywhere else. The few Customs officers meeting the average 2000 person cruise ship are thinking about Cubin cigars or someone wearing a new Rolex that one might have picked up in St. Thomas and failed to declare

[greatam]

There seems to be some mix-up about confiscating lap tops and cell phones without probable cause. Here's a link to TSA's web site that addresses this rumor:

 

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/02/rumor-alert-laptops.html

 

It is NOT TSA. It is US Customs and they have ALWAYS had the right to search and confiscate ANYTHING BEFORE you were allowed entry into the USA. This has been tested in court case after court case, primarily through the War on Drugs.

 

Computers, cell phones and PDA's can all be confiscated, as well as suitcases and other personal possessions.

 

Customs is looking for two things. Obviously, terrorist related materials. And CHILD PORN. So if you are a single businessman/woman traveling from SE Asia, you should probably worry. I will agree that terrorism related materials will probably result in profiling. And yes, somebody's 90 year old Grandfather will probably be caught up in the situation. And yes, it will make HUGE headlines when Grandpa gets his cell phone/computer/PDA confiscated.

 

Confiscating computers may be new, but the PREMISE is age old. Either don't take your computer overseas or wipe the hard drive clean of proprietary business/personal data. I am going to put my computer into my checked luggage for entry into the USA. Sure, I KNOW that this is not the safest place to put my computer. But I look at it this way-it is insured for theft, I have backup of important business and personal files on portable hard drives that I will not carry, the computer is multi- password protected AND encrypted AND if Customs confiscates it, I am out for who knows how long. I can't turn it in to my insurance company as stolen (and get a new one with the insurance check). So I will take my chances with the baggage thieves. I may be foolish, but with my frequent trips to SA and SE Asia, I may be ahead of the game. I will soon find out.

[pms4104]

This story ran in the Chicago Tribune this morning: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-080731-laptops-policy-aug01,0,1386692.story The link at the bottom of the article to Customs policy does not work ... I tried it.

 

An accompanying sidebar indicated that this policy covers any devices that are capable of storing information in digital or analog form ... hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. It also covers all papers and other written documentation, including books, pamphlets and "written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter'".

[vjmatty]

So everybody put your documents on a memory stick, only pack your secondary laptop and put a big Care Bears sticker on it. And don't forget to insure it.

[pms4104]

With all the ongoing fear-mongering and heavy-handedness ... I personally do not feel more or less safe than before these intrusions became commonplace.

[CruiserKid]

Here is a link to CBP's digital media searches. It's an interesting report. I would be disappointed if they took my laptop, but I' confident I will get it back since my laptop does not contain any contraband data.

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/congressional_test/laptop_searches.xml

[SelectSys]

This is a really silly and likely a highly ineffectual method for finding much in the way of "high value" terrorist information. Perhaps they'll find the occassional idiot carrrying child porn but that is about it now that the policy is widely published. I guess some of these bureaucrats haven't heard of the Internet...

[Davey Interweb]

Old news. The company I work for issues "clean" IT-provided laptops for any corporate trans-border travel, and we're only permitted to use secure VPN to communicate with our network for this very reason.

 

I know most people would likely say something along the lines of "I have nothing to hide anyway" (they probably do), but full-disk encryption in conjunction with stenography and a duress password is pretty simple to implement and it'll keep prying eyes away from your collection of Japanese Hentai vide...er, private data. Sure, I realize my laptop is unlikely to receive any scrutiny but I'm still not willing to give just anyone unfettered access to my personal stuff.

[senatorgirth]

Here is the original Washington Post article on the subject:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103030.html

 

That the government is doing this without probable cause is an absolute outrage. I hope civil liberties groups sue immediately to get an injunction to halt this police-state tactic that's more appropriate for North Korea or Stalin's USSR than it is of the U.S.A.

 

What's on my laptop -- emails, personal messages, passwords -- is none of the government's damn business. I have no ties to terrorists whatsoever but they should have no right to confiscate my computer and search it without any form of probable cause.