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Leave Your Laptop at Home?

Posted August 06, 2008 8:05 AM

Finding out that U.S. federal agents can take away any computer — or electronic device that can store data — from an international traveler entering the U.S. for no reason and keep it for as long as they want probably surprised a lot of people. Apparently this could happen even if an individual is not suspicious. And, information may be shared with other agencies, including financial and medical info. Do you think this policy is really necessary, or not?

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#2 "Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home?" by vermin on 08/07/2008 12:34 AM (score 1)

april05 Power-User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Troy, NY Posts: 401 Good Answers: 3	#1 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/06/2008 1:08 PM
	I'm a one-worlder and have love for you folks overseas, but I'm curious to know if they make a distinction between US Citizens (myself being one) and everyone else. Comedian Harry Shearer on KCRW's Le Show radio program does a great job of satirizing the airport security situation. Looking forward to listening to his take on this one! :) april05
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vermin Guru Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 5356 Good Answers: 49	#2 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 12:34 AM
	"when da Furor says ve is da master race..." Don't worry boys and girls, just a few more months... __________________ "Perplexity is the beginning of dementia" - Professor Coriolus
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Qqberci Guru Join Date: May 2007 Location: Budapest, Hungary, HA5YAR Posts: 617 Good Answers: 14	#3 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 1:18 AM
	You have to take a clear, empty laptop (or you can buy/rent a cheep one in place) and after arrival you can download your necessary data from home via VPN. __________________ Aged man is not old man...
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EnviroMan Guru Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Gone to Alabama with my banjo on my knee... Posts: 5595 Good Answers: 20	#4 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 9:27 AM
	If it'll reduce our taxes by providing free laptops, MP3 players, iPods, cell phones, etc., for the Dept. of Homeland Insecurity, I say go for it! Other than that, it sounds like the terrorists have already shut the land of the free down, and depopulated the home of the brave. __________________ Veni, vidi, video - I came, I saw, I got it on film.
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U V Guru Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: East of Seattle, Washington state Republic of the 50 states of America Posts: 2046 Good Answers: 36	#5 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 10:12 AM
	Der Fuhrer has again violated Nuremberg, yet the citizens only grumble. Tacit agreement, lazy or just scared? I still think 9-11 was incompetence or corruption. Neither is excusable. Brad __________________ (Larrabee's Law) Half of everything you hear in a classroom is crap. Education is figuring out which half is which.
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stevem Guru Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Defreestville, NY Posts: 1072 Good Answers: 87	#6 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 10:30 AM
	Here's Chertoffs take on it: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/08/chertoff.html __________________ Charlie don't surf.
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april05 Power-User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Troy, NY Posts: 401 Good Answers: 3	#7 In reply to #6 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/07/2008 3:51 PM
	Thanks for sharing the link, stevem. Will read. Hopefully the new rules won't put a damper on the law-abiding folks footing the tax bill for this, and trying to conduct legitimate business abroad. International travel used to be lots more fun in the 80's and 90's, and I always felt it was part of my "American-ness" to travel where-ever I wanted to abroad with minimal inconvenience (unlike those folks I visited stuck behind the Berlin Wall). Obviously things have changed a lot. -april05
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stevem Guru Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Defreestville, NY Posts: 1072 Good Answers: 87	#8 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/11/2008 9:43 AM
	Well it seems either Chertoff doesn't know what he's talking about or he's lying: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/08/laptop_searches/ This all smells like security theater, putting on a show that is supposed to make you feel safer when in actuality it does nothing to deter real terrorists who would simply swallow an encrypted micro-sd chip to smuggle in data. __________________ Charlie don't surf.
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Taganan Guru Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Earth. England/America -the birthplace of the C. S. A. - anywhere I imagine -home. Posts: 773 Good Answers: 33	#9 Re: Leave Your Laptop at Home? 08/17/2008 11:38 PM
	This is legalized theft as all they have to do is take the confiscated devices and wipe them very clean and resell them, while you get nothing. It is also unwarranted invasion of privacy if they search the contents of the stolen computer and even worse if they disclose that information. Big Brother is watching ....CENSORED __________________ No technology is so obsolete that it won't work. A stone knife still can kill you as dead as a laser.
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