Taking your laptop to the US

[juliebro]

I don't take mine on holiday with me, but I know that some of you do. The following was news to me.

On 21 April, the United States (US) Federal Appeals Court ruled that border agents can search your laptop, or any other electronic device, when you're entering the country. They can take your computer and download its entire contents, or keep it for several days, without suspicion or 'probable cause'. Customs and Border Patrol has not published any rules regarding this practice.

 

[Neoshoegal]

just found this on the topic

 

[Dead-metal]

just found this on the topic

They caught a paedophile.

The latest rulings stem from a case where airline passenger, Timothy Arnold, was pulled aside for secondary questioning upon his arrival into LAX from The Philippines in July, 2005. Customs agents searched his laptop and found images depicting child pornography

If you have nothing to hide then it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Twilight Terror]

Crickey! That has just thrown a spanner in the works. I usually take my laptop with us because our dad stays at home, and it's cheaper to communicate online that by phone or text message. However, I can't live without my laptop, and I don't want to run the risk that they may keep it and a copy of all my files. Okay, so there's nothing dodgy on my computer, just a whole lot of writing that I refuse to let anyone see, ever, including the US immigration/border control!!!!

Would be interesting to see how many people actually have their laptops investigated/taken away over the next few months.

 

[Neoshoegal]

If you have nothing to hide then it shouldn't be a problem.

It's not because you're not doing anything illegal that you shouldn't have your privacy respected.
What if you keep a diary on your laptop, or some (perfectly legal) picture you do not wish to share with anyone? How about, as they mention in the article, companies with vital but secure company info? How do you know they will handle things properly and not loose any data? Not to mention the fact that you won't know where and for how long they will store the data!
They also need no reason to do these searches, hey, they might as well do a full cavitiy search while they're at it and maybe hook you up to a lie detector, possibly even put your under hypnosis to quiz you an just about anything.
I have "nothing" to hide on my laptop, but that doesn't mean things on there are to be viewed by anyone but me.

 

[Twilight Terror]

It's not because you're not doing anything illegal that you shouldn't have your privacy respected.
What if you keep a diary on your laptop, or some (perfectly legal) picture you do not wish to share with anyone? How about, as they mention in the article, companies with vital but secure company info? How do you know they will handle things properly and not loose any data? Not to mention the fact that you won't know where and for how long they will store the data!
They also need no reason to do these searches, hey, they might as well do a full cavitiy search while they're at it and maybe hook you up to a lie detector, possibly even put your under hypnosis to quiz you an just about anything.
I have "nothing" to hide on my laptop, but that doesn't mean things on there are to be viewed by anyone but me.

EXACTLY! I shall now have to seriously consider taking my laptop with me

 

[pixiepower04]

I think i'll transfer all my files onto my main computer as a back up and have nothing on my laptop except holiday stuff and files for the photo's!

 

[Tron[ADS]]

Jeez, lucky I never got mine checked last month...I was making use of the villa's free internet by filling up my laptop harddrive with dvd's !

 

[Tim68]

Hi all. does this also cover mp3 players and mp4 players like PSP. thanks

 

[juliebro]

The articles I have read refer to 'laptops and gadgets'. Examples given were mobile phones and digital cameras.

 

[baz]

It seems the US just seem to do as they please lately, I’m all for security.
But surely they would only need to check those of suspicious persons rather than random tourists…..

 

[PhilUK]

Gosh !

I wonder why the US has seen a dramatic reduction in Visitors in the last few years as well as a reduction in all the income that comes with it ??

Phil

 

[spencem]

I've got nothing to hide on my laptop, but being without it for weeks while some little Hitler with a power rush pokes around it would cause me huge problems with my business. While they are at it chances are they would take my phone as well, customers not being able to reach me wouldn't cause any problems at all.

These idiots couldn't get their heads round my mothers knee replacements and wanted to cut her legs open to have a look, what chance is there that they would manage to get your laptop back to you in the UK in one piece months after they had finished checking none of those mp3 files said bad things about Bush.