Mr Lee Posted December 9, 2008 Posted December 9, 2008 Border laptop searches might get restricted12/09/2008 | 09:49 AM WASHINGTON - Mohamed Shommo, an engineer for Cisco Systems Inc., travels overseas several times a year for work, so he is accustomed to opening his bags for border inspections upon returning to the US But in recent years, these inspections have gone much deeper than his luggage.Border agents have scrutinized family pictures on Shommo's digital camera, examined Koranic verses and other audio files on his iPod and even looked up Google keyword searches he had typed into his company laptop."They literally searched everywhere and every device they could," said Shommo, who now minimizes what he takes on international trips and deletes pictures off his camera before returning to the US. "I don't think anyone has a right to look at my private belongings without my permission. You never know how they will interpret what they find."Given all the personal details that people store on digital devices, border searches of laptops and other gadgets can give law enforcement officials far more revealing pictures of travelers than suitcase inspections might yield. That has set off alarms among civil liberties groups and travelers' advocates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_shor Posted December 9, 2008 Posted December 9, 2008 There do need to be some kind of rules on this for sure because they aren't just looking when you pass through they take it and who knows if you get it back intact. That sure sounds like illegal search and seizure to me. The racial profiling doesn't bother me as much. If you belong to the group that is doing 99% of the terrorist activity you really should expect to be searched. But they still don't have the right to take your stuff if they don't find anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mik Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 I think it will only get worse not better. The US Constitution is pretty much dead now. The government has been walking all over it for the last 95 years. It's really sad. America was once a great country where people were free. But it has become a police state where you have no expectation of privacy, no unalienable rights and no limit to the power that government has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted December 10, 2008 Author Posted December 10, 2008 While I agree that people are losing their rights in the US, I think that they still have more rights than in most countries. Lets face it, the world is a changing place and not for the better.As for all these searches, while I sure do not like it if they happen to me, the fact that they have prevented a lot of terrorist attacks within the US and other countries, then I guess I just have to accept them. I also have no acceptance in my heart for pedophiles and if searches catch some of those, then all the better. Now while I do not want to pick on Muslims, they really need to get their own house in order if they want to not be picked on or singled out. I surely have no problem with law enforcement giving Muslims who frequently travel to known terrorist nations a good going over, if it prevents a dirty bomb or nuclear bomb from coming into the US or any other country to be used in an attack. If Muslims want these searches to stop, all they have to do is take action in their own countries to prevent radicalism within their religion. Not all Muslims are bad, but the fact is that radical Muslims have attacked other countries and killed innocent people for reasons only they can understand and will continue to try to do so, so I will gladly give up some of my rights, if it prevents another 9/11 from happening anywhere in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyperrier Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 is this only in us??or also in philippines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted December 10, 2008 Author Posted December 10, 2008 is this only in us??or also in philippines?I think these type of things can happen anywhere in the world nowadays but the US seems to be getting much stricter and searching more people who come in.I have heard of camera, laptop and memory media item searches in the Philippines as well and I think they were looking for pornography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike S Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 I think it is mostly in the US as the wonderful Homeland Security pass a new reg. that allows them to hold on to your laptop or other items until they are done with them ...... even if it takes weeks ..... you will be sent on your way and they could send it on to you at your expense of coarse ....... (this info taken from another board) ....... it used to be that they had to give it back to you before you left the airport ....... if you are a fat ... older guy with glasses and balding and are coming from an Asian country you fit the description and could more than likely be selected ....... that's the profile of pedophiles they are looking for ...... Hey Tom S. ........ did you have any trouble getting back in this last time ....... :SugarwareZ-010: ....... oh wait ... your just plump ....... not fat ........ yet ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_shor Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 I think it will only get worse not better. The US Constitution is pretty much dead now. The government has been walking all over it for the last 95 years. It's really sad. America was once a great country where people were free. But it has become a police state where you have no expectation of privacy, no unalienable rights and no limit to the power that government has.Unless you are a criminal. Then you have rights and the victims have none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_shor Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 I think it is mostly in the US as the wonderful Homeland Security pass a new reg. that allows them to hold on to your laptop or other items until they are done with them ...... even if it takes weeks ..... you will be sent on your way and they could send it on to you at your expense of coarse ....... (this info taken from another board) ....... it used to be that they had to give it back to you before you left the airport ....... if you are a fat ... older guy with glasses and balding and are coming from an Asian country you fit the description and could more than likely be selected ....... that's the profile of pedophiles they are looking for ...... Hey Tom S. ........ did you have any trouble getting back in this last time ....... :SugarwareZ-010: ....... oh wait ... your just plump ....... not fat ........ yet ..... HEY! Nope walked right through. :AddEmoticons04230: Well regulation or no regulation that is illegal seizure. If it was my high dollar laptop I would not be leaving without it and if I missed my flight they can pay for another. I don't give those guys a hard time for doing their jobs but there are limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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