Releaselog

TSA now allowed to take laptops from you

Posted on 03.08.2008 at 15:52 in Tech News by Martin

Not content with taking your shoes and confiscating your water, now the Department of Homeland Security is gunning for your laptops. As the Washington Post reported yesterday, Border Patrol and Customs agents can now “detain” laptops “for a reasonable period of time” to “review and analyze information.” They don’t need probable cause under the new policy. Doesn’t matter if you’re a U.S. citizen or foreign visitor. Officials can hold the laptops indefinitely. Or hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, pagers, beepers, video and audio tapes. Ditto papers, documents, books, pamphlets, even litter.

“It’s not our intent to subject legitimate travelers to undue scrutiny, but to ensure the safety of the American public,” wrote Jayson Ahern, U.S. Customs deputy commissioner, in a recent policy paper. Arguing that border searches of laptops have already uncovered intellectual property rights violations, extremist Jihadist literature, video clips of IEDs and child pornography, he pledged the government would never disclose confidential information “without lawful authority.” The policy has been on the books for awhile, but just confirmed under pressure from civil rights and business groups worried about increasing reports of laptop confiscation.

Source: LA Times

* Comments(156)

Comments (156)

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  1. Storm
    August 4th, 2008 | 00:45

    @94

    A server is a waitress right? lol

    seriously though as an American I’m tired of reading that we, the people are to blame, I’m also sick of reading the posts by the inbred deep south trash that refer to themselves as “True Americans”. The bickering of faults is stupid, yes I agree Americans stood by and watched our rights vanish, I also agree that these laws are completely unlawful, the land of the free, is now the land of the fear. Unfortunately i see things getting worse before they get better, the President doesn’t control the government anymore than the people, Bush is a puppet of corporations. Cheney is running the “war on terror” which in the last 7 years has been more like a “war on American Liberty”. American People know its terrible, we know the government sucks, we know its destroying what was once a great country, but unfortunately there is very little we can do to save it. All out Revolution, a civil war seems to be the only way to change anything, but due to the fear of EVERYTHING the gov. has put into us thru tv shows and movies and music (all available here) The American Public feels as though nothing can be done-that is except for the very small percentage of “Americans” who think RFID chips in our arms is a great step forward in freedom, and that security is better than freedom. Some food for thought: People in Maximum Security Prisons are not free.

    As an American who has been lucky enough to travel the world, I’m disgusted by how far my country has slipped from what it was built on, whereas other countries still maintain their original beliefs we only believe in money and fear. We as Americans can do more, so we need to stop sitting on our hands thinking the problems will go away with a new president they wont stop until we finally get fed up and force the change.

  2. gavrielle
    August 4th, 2008 | 00:45

    I keep getting a duplicate comment warning, but the post has yet to appear after 45 minutes, so here it is and sorry if it is a duplicate.

  3. meh
    August 4th, 2008 | 01:39

    get something to quick wipe the hdd , and keep a laptop disk image at home.

  4. ds1
    August 4th, 2008 | 01:52

    mike gravel
    is the best choice

  5. Bob
    August 4th, 2008 | 02:38

    Don’t blame Mr. Bush, He has no control over who is pulling his strings, And btw… It’s only begun, It is and will get much much worse. All of you out there with no clue as to what Im talking about, Open your eyes and start looking around, DONT take anything for granite, That’s what is expected, normal people dont question things, and that’s why its got as far out of control as it has. There is no excuse for it, We’re doomed and its your fault.

  6. Steven S
    August 4th, 2008 | 02:41

    Even though child porn is hideous this does not along give the DHS another reason to police the world. Under the Bush administration this country has become exactly what it set out against so many years ago, which was why this country was founded, to get away from these same people. So in a sense we have become our parents. We are doing exactly what we set out not to do and to get away from. It is not the job of DHS to mine and look for child porn, or copyright patent violations etc. Their job is to protect us from terrorism and confiscating litter does not do that. It is simply another way for them to be Big Brother to the entire world. It makes me sad to be a citizen of a country that thinks they can continually do what they want all in the name of National Security, I am sick of that lame line.

    Looking for child porn and patent infringements are not national security. Also with the extremist literature, does not the First Amendment guarantee free speech? I am tired of being watched all the time, “Stand down, get in line, and do the good of our administration.”

  7. pogi
    August 4th, 2008 | 03:19

    you got to be freaking kidding me.How about your rights.”TSA” can hold your laptops for indefinite amount of time.What if you use this laptop to make a living or for school .I know a lot of people can’t live without their laptops iphone ipod and so on.They worry about pedophiles coming in this country what they should worry about are those that live in the USA first.We all know majority of the pedophiles live in USA.Why not just banned all the electronic equipment in the plane.A couple months ago they where testing wifi in planes and they gonna turn around and do something like this s@#$t.I’m a little confuse here who the f#$%ch make this rules I need to know.So I know who to vote in the next election.Some body need to pass this law in to congress because this definitely a violation of human rights

  8. alternate
    August 4th, 2008 | 03:33

    here’s a tip, f*ck the airlines….use alternate transport, sure it may take longer but they may get the message.

  9. FLUX
    August 4th, 2008 | 04:06

    Bye bye due process and the courts. Bye bye “innocent until proven guilty”.

    Fight your government you wonderful Americans. Fight!

  10. My Kitten's Name Is Mittens
    August 4th, 2008 | 04:27

    @ 109 & 110 Exactly! If you don’t like the law and all you do is post your displeasure on online forums nothing gets done. Contact the government, write letters, protest, inspire others to do something but DO SOMETHING. Sitting back and holding your breath, waiting for the next presidential election gets you nowhere. Assemble, protest, fight either non-violently or violently (if it comes to it). Show a few law makers that the American people won’t bend over and take it. It won’t be easy and I’m seemingly pedaling easy answers but you can change the laws if you want it bad enough. If you don’t want to do it, are complacent and if you can’t get others to fight then it’ll get worse and worse.

    You’re no longer “free”, act like it! What’s next? Curfews?

  11. cRaP
    August 4th, 2008 | 04:50

    I want to know what happens when you encrypt your computer and Homeland can’t get in or hack in and you refuse to supply the password, then what? Detention? Arrest? Beating? Torture? Definitely will refuse you entry into or out of their country. Then GitMo?

    Fascism meet homeland security. You two are gonna get along great…

  12. hazardous
    August 4th, 2008 | 05:32

    I can’t find this article in the LA times or anywhere that a law was passed. i just found a link about one case in Dallas.

    I forwarded this link to friends and they say show the real new link that they passed a law.

  13. Douche!
    August 4th, 2008 | 05:42

    @ 113 how about the Washington Post link from Martin’s article?
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103030.html?hpid=moreheadlines

  14. Homeland Security
    August 4th, 2008 | 05:51

    Martin, I will offer you my services to smack certain users, if you wish. I offer you my services for free, of course.

    Nov 11, 2006 http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-laptop11nov11,0,2622659.story?coll=la-opinion-center

    June 26, 2008 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-laptops26-2008jun26,0,4415017.story

  15. Another link
    August 4th, 2008 | 05:56

    http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/admissability/search_authority.ctt/search_authority.pdf

    For the entire .pdf click on above link.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection Policy Regarding Border Search of Information

    July 16,2008

    This policy provides guidance to U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers, Border
    Patrol Agents, Air and Marine Agents, Internal Affairs Agents, and any other official of CBP
    authorized to conduct border searches (for purposes of this policy, all such officers and agents
    are hereinafter referred to as “officers”) regarding the border search of information contained in
    documents and electronic devices. More specifically, this policy sets forth the legal and policy
    guidelines within which officers may search, review, retain, and share certain information
    possessed by individuals who are encountered by CBP at the border, functional equivalent of the
    border, or extended border. This policy governs border search authority only; nothing in this
    policy limits the authority of CBP to act pursuant to other authorities such as a warrant or a
    search incident to arrest…

  16. Another link x2
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:00

    Aug 1, 2008

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/08/make-no-mistake.html

  17. lolz
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:06

    Sad thing is everything US does rubs off…

  18. lolz
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:10

    I agree completely with 109, alternative.

    Stop flying.. Also better for the enviroment and all that.. ;)

  19. TheJoker07
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:14

    LMAO TSA is not involve with this. Its Customs and Border Patrol only. Read the article.

    Not sure why it says TSA in the headlines…

  20. common sense
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:18

    Transcendent
    August 3rd, 2008 | 23:32
    #85

    I agree with you. But Europe isn’t a f*cked up country, it’s a collection of f*cked up and not-so-f*cked-up countries. And you seem to be a nationalist like most US citizens seem to be.
    Did you have any hand in the US inventions you are talking about? No? Then don’t brag about it. That’s like if todays greeks claimed they are superior because “they” invented democracy.

    The US people are to blame for this. They don’t give a crap about democracy, and trust in their government like nazis.

    No it has nothing to do with this. I am just getting very sick and damn tired of all the little tit monkeys blasting America every time some BS comes up. We even had a mental midget try and blast America for that asian lopping off the head of the other guy on a Canadian Bus! I mean it happened in Canada for ch%$Sts sake and neither one of them had ever been to the US, yet this tit monkey went off on a tangent. When countries have a natural disaster they whine and complain if we dont show up and help, then the bastards turn right around and curse us under their breath for not getting them Evian water instead of Mountain Springs. I mean for ch*%sts sake who was the first in line to help Berlin in WW2? Who was the first in line with millions of dollars in goods and people when the damned tidal wave hit in Southeast Asia? We have almost 800 MILLION dollars of grain and medical goods sitting on a freaking dock in Indonesia because the monkeys that run that country REFUSE to allow outside help. We have offered technology and food stores to N Korea and have been refused. We went to darfur and all we got was our helpers shot and killed and drug through the streets like garbage when they were trying to help the savages that killed them!

    So SCREW these little pus sies that attack us every chance they get. One of these days they or their countries are going to ask for our help in something and we would be well within our rights to tell them to go hell!

    You dont like our laws then stay home, nobody is forcing you to come here And I can guarentee you that a lot of us are starting to wonder why we even bother. There is swiftly coming a breaking point where we are just going to say “Ok, screw it. get along without us.” and remove ourselves from NATO and kick the UN out of NY and tell the rest of the world to go to hell. The grain we have developed that will grow in sand just as well as dirt, we will keep for ourselves. The 50GB dvd’s and the micro electronics that can be taken with water and see if your internal plumbing is messed up..well we will keep that for ourselves as well. The new cancer fighting drugs and eliminate cancer cells ONLY..yep, develope a drug that does that on your own cause you are not getting ours. They want to eat? Buy their foodstuffs from someone else as we wont sell them any more even though foodstuffs grown here in the US feed well over half the freaking planet. Steal our Tech, they get ONE chance to give it back or we come get it.

    So when they are starving and freezing and naked with no medication and no way to get any, lets see how fast they kiss our arse to get it and then we can do to them what these tit monkeys are doing now. Curse at them and tell them to go screw themselves!

  21. x-files
    August 4th, 2008 | 06:50

    @120 LMFAO the TSA – Transportation Security Administration is part of Homeland Security. These are all sister agencies.

    TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/
    At the very bottom of the page:
    Transportation Security Administration | U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    US Customs and Border Protection: http://www.cbp.gov/
    Guess which badge appears on the CBP page? You guessed right! Homeland Security.

  22. TheJoker07
    August 4th, 2008 | 07:10

    LMAO @ 122. TSA is not doing this. Only Customs and Border Patrol. Read the article.

    “according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

    Where does it say TSA?

  23. 101st
    August 4th, 2008 | 07:17

    It looks like terrorist is winning the battle, they made the lives of Americans very difficult now.
    What can I say?

  24. John
    August 4th, 2008 | 07:42

    “DHS Allowed To Take Laptops Indefinitely”
    http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/01/0958242

  25. idiocracy
    August 4th, 2008 | 07:50

    fear of ass
    lol americans and their funny fearlover goverment.
    the economy crackin and they still busy with tourists laptops

  26. King Jing
    August 4th, 2008 | 08:25

    “but to ensure the safety of the American public”
    and
    “searches of laptops have already uncovered intellectual property rights violations”

    I fail to see how IP violations are a threat to the safety of the American public.

  27. Shome
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:06

    and this is why [we/]i hate America

  28. Mush
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:06

    Use true crypt and partition and encrypt your drives with hidden partitions with your stuff that you don’t want to delete.

  29. lolz
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:11

    @ King Jing

    According to old movie industry commersials pirates support terrorists, and they pretty mutch ARE the government so yea were all terrorist now..

    All we can wait for now is for the land of the free to start torturing us in Cuba..

  30. david
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:18

    the solution is to print out your jihadist material and child pornography, get it bookbinded and disguise it as a bible or something similar. are they going to go through all your hardcopy documents as well?

  31. david
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:23

    oh my god i can’t read. let me crawl back under my rock.

  32. x-files
    August 4th, 2008 | 09:51

    @ 123 LOL The title says “TSA now allowed to take laptops from you” because in reality that’s what’s happening. I’ll ask a rhetorical question, “No TSO has ever touched an airline passenger’s laptop in the course of their duties?”

    TSA rep Christopher states on TSA Evolution Blog Team (http link below):

    “TSA does not and will not confiscate laptops or other electronic devices at our checkpoints”

    and also cautions

    “We will not ask for any password, access to any files or take the laptop from you for longer than it takes to determine if it contains a threat.”

    But removing my laptop from me “…not.. for longer than it takes to determine if it contains a threat” is a confiscation of my laptop.

    What crazy type of logic bomb is that? They don’t confiscate laptops but they’ll confiscate laptops for no longer than it takes to determine if it contains a threat!?!

    LOL!!! My laptop can be confiscated by the TSA so says Christopher and therefor the article title is correct – “TSA now allowed to take laptops.”

    LOL!!!

    http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/02/rumor-alert-laptops.html

  33. henry
    August 4th, 2008 | 11:49

    When I last had the misfortune to travel via the US I was disgusted by how passengers were treated. Just in transit – we had to get off the plane queue for ages to be finger-printed and have mugshots taken… I vowed never to return. So this news just reinforces that decision. Makes me so angry and I don’t even live there – thank God/Allah for that.

  34. nick
    August 4th, 2008 | 12:43

    Ever seen TSA employees? They look like thugs on the street that somehow managed to get a job at an airport. If they didn’t have a job with the TSA they’d probably be in jail.

    They are probably outright steeling the laptops now.

    On top of that whats in your laptop is your own business short of it containing an explosive or something. Total invasion of privacy, what does the software or content of your computer have to do with flying and security?

    It’s really is turning into nazi Germany now.

  35. daremes
    August 4th, 2008 | 13:08

    1984

  36. MarcoMR
    August 4th, 2008 | 13:46

    Usa … the land of freedom …

  37. TheJoker07
    August 4th, 2008 | 14:12

    LMAO @ 133. Just give up you know your wrong. Even in the TSA blog you posted it clearly says that they won’t confiscate laptops.

  38. petergriffin
    August 4th, 2008 | 14:27

    geez u guys are like way behind with the times this sort of thing has been brewing for ages your lousy government isnt nothing more than a bunch neocons hell bent on destroying your economy and your dollar, amero is on its way, the north american union is coming, mexico and canada and the usa will join so they can call up tons of mexicans for the new usa army, im so glad i dont live there anymore cause u dont listen to your own laws, the bill of independance is worthless snot rag, until u fight back u are as bad as them, alex jones has been telling u all this for years and u just laugh at him, jesse ventura even knows and tries to fight it for you, but where are the people anymore?? your scared cowards thinking they wont bother with u, your all right easy life, so long to freedom suckers, as the bumper sticker says “civil liberties – I wasnt using them anyways”.

  39. GDesigner
    August 4th, 2008 | 16:15

    And these will likely be many of the first people to cry foul if we’re attacked by terrorists again. Unreal.

  40. Mario
    August 4th, 2008 | 18:41

    Haha, wow. I come from an overseas flight with my laptop with bootleg material on it and some nice DVDs in my suitcase, and a few days after I come home I hear this! Wow.

  41. shortandcurly
    August 4th, 2008 | 19:27

    @9 nwo”Do not have anything illegal on you and if you have to get something digital across, upload it to a server beforehand and then just download it on the other side.

    Jeez, the people who have a problem with these laws are the ones who are paranoid.”

    How do you download “on the other side” if your notebook is confiscated, for no valid reason other than you are number 1324 and are 6 foot tall, regardless of what you have stored on it?

    The overly paranoid check is to be expected from America, but to confiscate a notebook, without the need for a substantial reason is just ridiculuous.

    People read the main text (which isn’t BAD) but don’t see the gaping loopholes it opens up, just as with the Partiot Act. The aim is alright but the loose language used, allows them to do just about anything they want.

  42. shortandcurly
    August 4th, 2008 | 19:38

    Mr.X #94

    “I bet Bush dont know what a server even is.”

    Of course he does, they are the people that work for f-all at MacDonalds and those who bring him his daily comics from around the globe so he can learn foreign policy.

  43. e
    August 4th, 2008 | 21:51

    1.the u.s. is not “becoming” a police state, IT IS ONE!if you disagree i beg you to do some research and don’t believe everything they tell you, find things out for yourself! 2.you americans are the biggest fking pussies, if you were the people of your country in the 18th century you’d still be paying tax to the uk and the blacks would’ve never gotten even the illusion of freedome.WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET UP FROM YOUR ASSES???you’re gonna wait around till you have no rights left at all and reading (1984) will be forbidden…

  44. e
    August 4th, 2008 | 21:52

    1.the u.s. is not “becoming” a police state, IT IS ONE!if you disagree i beg you to do some research and don’t believe everything they tell you, find things out for yourself! 2.you americans are the biggest fking pussies, if you were the people of your country in the 18th century you’d still be paying tax to the uk and the blacks would’ve never gotten even the illusion of freedome.WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET UP FROM YOUR ASSES???you’re gonna wait around till you have no rights left at all and reading (1984) will be forbidden…/not like you’d want to read/

  45. rrpostal
    August 4th, 2008 | 21:57

    The sky is falling the sky is falling…Nazis Nazis everywhere.

    Maybe it is falling but I just got off a plane yesterday and no one even glanced at any of my electronics with all of my “stuff” on them.

    Not saying this shouldn’t be a big picture concern, but it’s about 25,000 on my list of concerns. A cop could pull me over on the way to the store and hold me for questioning over something I never did. It’s that way everywhere. If you think it’s not, fine, good luck.

    I’m going to the store.

  46. President Robert Mugabe
    August 4th, 2008 | 23:54

    Haha u dumb fuken americans u letz this happen to “the greatest democracy on earth”!!!! U fukrs let pandoras box open and now their is no going back – quite simply YOUR FREEDOMS ARE FUKED!!! I predict in 10 to 15 years time freedom of thought will be monitored and punished serverly!!!

    Fuk this I am building a rocket ship outa crap around the yard and getting the fuk outta here!!! WHOSE WITH ME?????????

  47. Splash
    August 5th, 2008 | 02:20

    OMG Another story of the US going overboard under the guise of Homeland security. Pull your bloody heads from your asses and rally against the police state/communist country your now living in and stop this crap! You have the power

    I can’t believe how easily the US citizens drop their pants and bend over with their asses lubed up for another ass pounding all under the name Terrorism! Protect your country by allowing the Government to convert your society to communism! Watch out many brains at work!

  48. bleh
    August 5th, 2008 | 02:47

    for a government so ideologically opposed to the chinese governments tactics, they really do seem to be taking more than a few pages out of their big book of paranoia lately

  49. bleh
    August 5th, 2008 | 02:51

    hah ice cube was the first, but i guess now EVERYONE is Amerikka’s Most Wanted

  50. dice
    August 5th, 2008 | 04:36

    Ok, this practice has nothing to do with the Patriot Act, and little to do with 9/11 or the Bush Administration.

    First, this only happens when entering the US from a foreign country. Second, before you enter Customs, you technically are not on US Soil, so you ave no constitutional rights yet (I think). Third, it’s been a long standing practice for the US to inspect people and packages entering into the US. 4th, and final, the courts don’t view a computer as any different than your suitcase, or a crate, or a package. They can search it all before allowing it into the US. If you encrypt the contents, they can seize the computer and take you to court to compel you to give up the password.

    With all that said, I really dislike this practice, and I would tell anyone traveling overseas to take care of what is on their computer.

    And TSA employees are a joke universally. They are not law enforcement and have no real authority. Customs Officers, however ARE the police and are sworn federal officers, so tread lightly with them.

  51. ross kemp
    August 5th, 2008 | 07:45

    i tread lightly on none of those m
    u
    t
    h
    e
    r
    f
    u
    c
    k
    e
    r
    s!!!

  52. captainkremmen
    August 5th, 2008 | 12:44

    Actually, the internet was NOT a sole American invention. True it developed from the original Arpanet designed to connect military, government and educational establishments in the US with a network that could survive in the event of a nuclear attack or other catastrophe. However, Arpanet and the internet owe a great deal to work done by British scientists such as Donald Davies at the UK’s National Physics Laboratory in the late 60s. He came up with the idea of packet switching, and even built the world’s first fully functioning LAN that used packet switching. He was then invited to put his ideas and to demonstrate to the guys looking at designing Arpanet who took up the principles he devised. Then of course there is Tim Berners Lee who came up with the world wide web we all know and love. Truth is, we have both the US and the UK to thank for the internet and the WWW as we know it. So enough of this “my country invented the internet” crap.

    As for this story, it’s certainly true that the UK is also paranoid. We tend to follow the lead of the US on issues such as this, so expect to see these draconian measures implemented over here soon. The only good thing is that we have press and politicians willing to make some noise about it, but whether they do any good is another matter. One of our MPs recently resigned over the burgeoning police state mentality. True, his seat was never in doubt and he was easily re-elected however, his resignation did cause a media furore and drew attention to the issue in a way that had never happened before. All of the news bulletins and newspapers have carried stories about government intrusion, draconian laws, anti terror laws being misused and others privacy issues such as Phorm the massively intrusive advertising system ever since (you guys in the US have a similar system coming called NebuAd, but at least on this your politicians are waking up). It’s happening slowly, but you now hear ordinary people on the streets and in pubs talking about the way we are headed and starting to ask questions and protest, which can only be a good thing if people start to take it seriously. Whether our goverment actually listen is another matter, and so far they don’t seem to be listening at all.

  53. q1l0
    August 5th, 2008 | 20:22

    @151

    As a physical object they can look into my laptop … but the information is different, same as listening to you phone calls or reading your e-mails, unless the have proof that you have something illegal on that hdd they should not stick their nose.

    p.s. why bother transporting videos with a laptop when you can transmit it over internet… ?

  54. de
    August 6th, 2008 | 14:21

    The illuminate is slowly taking over the world..
    They are everywhere,nazis,communists,mafia,government,whatever,all run by the freemasons..

  55. Huh?
    August 7th, 2008 | 22:48

    Yeah… that’s pretty rough. I mean, your laptop is your soul right? It’s your bread and butter, right? It’s your pain, pleasure, love and hatred, right? Oh my… how can I go on living without one in my relative carefree and cozy country?

    Or is it just an electronic device?

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