- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause
by R.A. Hettinga 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/seizinglaptopsandcameraswithoutcause&printer… > U.S. News & World Report U.S. Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause By Alex Kingsbury Wed Jun 25, 11:41 AM ET Returning from a brief vacation to Germany in February, Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. Agents searched Hogan's luggage and then popped an unexpected question: Was he carrying any digital media cards or drives in his pockets? "Then they told me that they were impounding my laptop," says Hogan, a freelance investigative reporter whose recent stories have ranged from the origins of the Iraq war to the impact of money in presidential politics. Shaken by the encounter, Hogan says he left the airport and examined his bags, finding that the agents had also removed and inspected the memory card from his digital camera. "It was fortunate that I didn't use that machine for work or I would have had to call up all my sources and tell them that the government had just seized their information," he said. When customs offered to return the machine nearly two weeks later, Hogan told them to ship it to his lawyer. The extent of the program to confiscate electronics at customs points is unclear. A hearing Wednesday before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on the Constitution hopes to learn more about the extent of the program and safeguards to traveler's privacy. Lawsuits have also been filed, challenging how the program selects travelers for inspection. Citing those lawsuits, Customs and Border Protection, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, refuses to say exactly how common the practice is, how many computers, portable storage drives, and BlackBerries have been inspected and confiscated, or what happens to the devices once they are seized. Congressional investigators and plaintiffs involved in lawsuits believe that digital copies?so-called "mirror images" of drives?are sometimes made of materials after they are seized by customs. A ruling this year by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that DHS does indeed have the authority to search electronic devices without suspicion in the same way that it would inspect a briefcase. The lawsuit that prompted the ruling was the result of more than 20 cases, most of which involved laptops, cellphones, or other electronics seized at airports. In those cases, nearly all of the individuals were of Muslim, Middle Eastern, or South Asian background. Travelers who have their computers seized face real headaches. "It immediately deprives an executive or company of the very data?and revenue?a business trip was intended to create," says Susan Gurley, head of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, which is asking DHS for greater transparency and oversight to protect copied data. "As a businessperson returning to the U.S., you may find yourself effectively locked out of your electronic office indefinitely." While Hogan had his computer returned after only a few days, others say they have had theirs held for months at a time. As a result, some companies have instituted policies that require employees to travel with clean machines: free of corporate data. The security value of the program is unclear, critics say, while the threats to business and privacy are substantial. If drives are being copied, customs officials are potentially duplicating corporate secrets, legal records, financial data, medical files, and personal E- mails and photographs as well as stored passwords for accounts from Netflix to Bank of America. DHS contends that travelers' computers can also contain child pornography, intellectual property offenses, or terrorist secrets. It makes practical sense to X-ray the contents of checked and carry-on luggage, which could pose an immediate danger to airplanes and their passengers. "Generally speaking, customs officials do not go through briefcases to review and copy paper business records or personal diaries, which is apparently what they are now doing now in digital form?these PDA's don't have bombs in them," says Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. More troubling is what could happen if other countries follow the lead of the United States. Imagine, for instance, if China or Russia began a program to seize and duplicate the contents of traveler's laptops. "We wouldn't be in a position to strongly object to that type of behavior," Rotenberg says. Indeed, visitors to the Beijing Olympic Games have been officially advised by U.S. officials that their laptops may be targeted for duplication or bugging by Chinese government spies hoping to steal business and trade secrets.

1 0

Proven Effective for 72 Hours Free Trial Sample Available Today
by Felicia Pineda 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Many surveys have shown that ladies prefer their man to have a huge manhood. Try it today - you have nothing to lose, just a lot to gain! http://briovanel.com/

1 0

-=: Buy 88% cheaper pills online from US DrugStore! :=- FREE 4 Bonus BLUE Pills vojlg 211
by Ethelyn Margaret 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

-=: US Drugstore :=- Voted as No.1 US pharmacy on Internet Over 80 meds on our online store We accept Visa, Master Card, JCB, Dinner & eCheck Mystery gift with every PURCHASE! HURRY! LIMITED TIME! Checkout the gift by clicking into below link http://bhgf.mvtimex.com.cn

1 0

Trendy replica watches Famous brands, top quality
by Jerrold Knowles 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Buy the Patek Philippe watch and know everything about time! Watches for all tastes at Replica Classics online store Christmas Replica Watches http://baredleibah.com/

1 0

Increase Your Penis Width (Girth) By upto 20%.
by Edgardo Delaney 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Size DOES matter - change your life today! Get your free bottles today, and change your life - why wait? http://oeainlean.com/

1 0

Luxurious costume replica watches at ...
by August Short 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Qualitative Brietling watches at Replica Classics Luxurious costume replica watches at lowest prices Click here and order replica watches from best brands http://hightforauk.com/

1 0

The Best Pi|I Offer
by Daryl Shipley 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Exclusive Health Location http://paschoalap3922.blogspot.com/ it had, of course, been difficult to explain the _nature_ of war to

1 0

Is BIG P3NlS better or not? 4cal8g
by Stevie Escobar 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Dear cypherpunks(a)jfet.org Do yu want enalrge yur penis up to 4 inches? If answer is YES please visit our site http://klefroeis.com

1 0

Gain 3+ Inches In Length.
by Walter Collins 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

Size DOES matter - change your life today! Impress the ladies with the new tool in your pants, and watch them moan in pleasure when you fill them up deeper and more tightly. http://nbibaen.com/

1 0

== Buy Generic CializViagra(Free Pills along your order) == Buy from Cheap FDA Approved Store klqbor j1
by Joey Madelyn 28 Jun '08

28 Jun '08

== A-Z medications to choose from == We give you FreeViagraPills (Free you 4-12 pills with any order) == ViagraPill == == Cialix Pills == == PenisGrowth Pack == == SQMA == == Phentrimine == == Levitr == == Tramadol == == FemaleViagra == & 400 more meds to choose from Claim your Free 4-12 ViagraPills here with us http://kqba.mkandhist.cn

1 0