Laptop confiscation at US border?

[Slomo]

http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/10/24/2028215.shtml

WTF?

[johnsmith]

I'm confused about the point of this thread.

[Slomo]

Random confiscation of laptop computers, that don't get returned for 6 months (sometimes more)?

You find that worthy of a democratic country?

The USSR used to do it, and I believe that North Korea has a similar practice with the difference that they return it to you when you go out of the country (not 6 months!!!). That's a funny company for the US to be in.

In most other countries it can only happen if you are the suspect in a crime. Which means its backed up by a court order or an (international) warrant for your arrest. Not randomly!

[Notorious H.O.P.]

You haven't heard of the new free use of laptops for federal employees benefit?

[Slomo]

No!

but it does explain a lot

[velik_m]

This comment @ slashdot is golden:
"Welcome to America. All your laptops are belong to us."

[RandomGuy]

Random confiscation of laptop computers, that don't get returned for 6 months (sometimes more)?

You find that worthy of a democratic country?

The USSR used to do it, and I believe that North Korea has a similar practice with the difference that they return it to you when you go out of the country (not 6 months!!!). That's a funny company for the US to be in.

In most other countries it can only happen if you are the suspect in a crime. Which means its backed up by a court order or an (international) warrant for your arrest. Not randomly!

Did someone say Random?

Palm trees are not really "trees". They are a species of grass.

[RandomGuy]

Random confiscation of laptop computers, that don't get returned for 6 months (sometimes more)?

You find that worthy of a democratic country?

The USSR used to do it, and I believe that North Korea has a similar practice with the difference that they return it to you when you go out of the country (not 6 months!!!). That's a funny company for the US to be in.

In most other countries it can only happen if you are the suspect in a crime. Which means its backed up by a court order or an (international) warrant for your arrest. Not randomly!

Seriously though. Most Laptops have removable hard drives. Simply remove the HD before going through customs, put it in a shaving razor case or something similar. If the empty s gets snagged for whatever reason, you have the information.

Another easy alternative is to back up the entire drive or at least the really important stuff onto a memory stick or similar.

I would be willing to bet that quite a few customs agents and/or security guards don't have the level of sophistication needed to figure out that the HD isn't there.

[Slomo]

Seriously though. Most Laptops have removable hard drives. Simply remove the HD before going through customs, put it in a shaving razor case or something similar. If the empty s gets snagged for whatever reason, you have the information.

Another easy alternative is to back up the entire drive or at least the really important stuff onto a memory stick or similar.

I would be willing to bet that quite a few customs agents and/or security guards don't have the level of sophistication needed to figure out that the HD isn't there.

There are encryption system out there that are so good, you don't even know there's a file there. It's not about fooling the customs officer, it's about the principle of things. It's about the privacy of my person and the ownership of my data. I won't even go into the debate about copyrighted materials like project blueprints that I carry with me on my PC (State endorsed industrial espionage? - wow that a blast from the (red) past).

And if the paranoia level is so high do a decent job of it, don't let people who are probably bringing business to you country be without their most useful tool. Check it, and give it back! Although as I said before with some of the new encryption tools that task is futile anyway.