International trade agreement to search computers?

[WBU ALUM]

RT news appears to have some connection with a web site called "Russia Today." I don't know how legitimate its news sources are or its reporting, but I found this video regarding warrantless searches to be interesting.

Video reporting international laptop and hard drive searches

I can imagine the outcry from air passengers when their laptops and portable hard drives are confiscated just for the sake of confiscation and without probable cause. This all seems hard to believe, but not impossible.

[BobHelm]

Sorry WBU I refuse to believe (or even read) any site about anything when I log onto it & I get a "congratulations you are a winner" spam message appear....
Hardly a reliable anything source, in my opinion. If you can point me to an alternative read of the facts of the case, rather than "Obama's scary new law"- even Fox - I will be happy to read & comment...

[WBU ALUM]

Sorry WBU I refuse to believe (or even read) any site about anything when I log onto it & I get a "congratulations you are a winner" spam message appear....
Hardly a reliable anything source, in my opinion. If you can point me to an alternative read of the facts of the case, rather than "Obama's scary new law"- even Fox - I will be happy to read & comment...

You got something I didn't get. No spam message on my end.

The video is from RT. I guess it was posted on an independent site that has nothing to do with RT. I was able to realize that as soon as the video started. I never spoke of the "site", only the video embedded there.

Here's the same video from the Russia Today web site: A not-so-private PC

[jackspratt]

There is a lengthy wiki article on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Count ... _Agreement

As far as warrantless searches go, the proposal does not seem to extend by much the current powers of Customs authorities to search anything and everything at the border, without warrant or reasonable cause.

I am a little amused by the title of the film clip in WBU's first link to Wimp.com ie "Obamas Scary New Law". Given that discussions on this proposed new agreement gave been going on since mid 2007 it hardly seems correct to lumber Obama with the responsibility for the law.

[WBU ALUM]

I am a little amused by the title of the film clip in WBU's first link to Wimp.com ie "Obamas Scary New Law". Given that discussions on this proposed new agreement gave been going on since mid 2007 it hardly seems correct to lumber Obama with the responsibility for the law.

That struck me as rather odd and misleading, too, but since the video was from a different source, I thought it would be worth watching. That's why I did a search for the RussiaToday.com web site to see if the video existed there, too.

Yes, I'm familiar with the wide open jurisdiction that customs officials have, but they rarely confiscate things unless they are contraband. Unless someone is a known software pirate or digital music thief, I find it difficult to understand how customs officials will have the time to search laptops and hard drives. So without the time, will they just start taking laptops and hard drives? Hope not.

[aznyron]

I would assume if some one who was on the watch list was to have his/her P/C confiscated and checked
for terrorist activity or information would be IMO OK but randomly checking some one PC just for B/S reason I don not find that to be a accurate rule/law. boarding a flight ether domestic or international
you do give up certain rights and subject to personal searches which could be a violation of your rights
if you were not boarding a flight for travel

[BobHelm]

WBU, it has not been unknown for customs officials in UK to do this for a number of years.
I would imagine though it has always been done when they are in receipt of "information" from some other agency. The Customs & Excise in UK have powers far in excess of that permitted to the police and I imagine that they are being used, on some occasions, to confirm suspicions and enable prosecutions that would be far more difficult for the police to pursue.
As this is usually concerning things like terrorism & paedophile behaviour I,personally, am not too concerned about it !!

[arjay]

This discussion brings me to the thought, what is considered acceptable to keep on your computer, and I guess that could vary from country to country?

For example, I keep a few pin ups and some eye candy on mine, which includes the odd partially clad and even naked female. I use these to edit/shrink down to create Avatars for use on the forum. But I do not view, nor thus keep, anything that I consider distasteful - i.e. anything that shows any sexual acts or indeed photos of gentilia!!

[laphanphon]

what we consider the art and beauty of God's greatest creation, of, chickies, who cares who thought of it, but what we consider works of human ingenuity, passing customs in a muslim (not picking, just an example) check point may be considered extremely illegal, since skin must be covered at all time in some cultures. leaving anyone open to any one agents digression on any given day when that person is in any given mood.

as for as USA, the patriot act has taken all your rights away. in the interested an national security, everything is illegal, no warrant, no charges, no lawyers, habeas corpus...........what's that.

1984, equilibrium, v for vendetta, and quite a few more....................no longer fiction stories.......we are living it and if you don't think so, you need to take the blinder off.

i'm trying my best to be the invisible man, with today technology and electric trails, it's almost impossible. can't wait till we all get lo-jacked.

[papaguido]

I would assume if some one who was on the watch list was to have his/her P/C confiscated and checked
for terrorist activity or information would be IMO OK but randomly checking some one PC just for B/S reason I don not find that to be a accurate rule/law. boarding a flight ether domestic or international
you do give up certain rights and subject to personal searches which could be a violation of your rights
if you were not boarding a flight for travel

Actually it is legal...

Customs agents at U.S. airports don't need any evidence of wrongdoing to search the contents of passengers' laptop computers, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 109BQO.DTL

Judge: Customs May Search Laptops Without Warrants

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2286778,00.asp

Can US Customs Search & Seize Your Laptop Computer Without Cause? YES They Can!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... tml?cat=17

More here:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=custom ... 8&fp_ip=TH

[laphanphon]

be scared, be very scared, when i had my FFL (fed firarms license to sell guns), which included one hell of a security check to get, which included access to a sealed file about myself i had to petition to have waived as evidence, as it was a 'sealed file', so much for that technicalitly. eventurally approved, but every, and i mean everytime i reentered the usa, this before 'nazi patriot act era', they did everything but a cavity search and the same question, bringing in any guns. yea, my carry on has a 50 cal in it. use to travel with girlfriend or whoever and always on seperate itineraries, so she was never put in the system. worked for the airlines so again, top security was a must and they knew it by the tickets and id's. but no matter. good friends with philly customs and they simply said, once in the system, you're screwed forever.

bill of rights............hmm.....................