Begin forwarded message: From: Robert Pennoyer <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: August 3, 2006 11:55:13 AM EDT To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [IP] more on search experience on "border""Given that this list is growing and not shrinking based upon public outcry,"
I haven't heard much public outcry about the growing list of prohibited behavior. Academics and journalists--incidentally, two groups that travel a lot and are accustomed to writing essays and articles for publication--complain about laptop inspections, absurdist implementation of the no-fly list, and the ineffectiveness of TSA programs in general, but the public at large doesn't seem to care.
When the public does care, there is outcry, and the policies eventually change. Case in point is last year's decision by the TSA to relax restrictions on small scissors and nail clippers and the like.
This paradox of public opinion is disquieting not only because it leads to acceptance of greater government intrusion into our pivate lives, but also because it is not making us safer, as frequent reports of lapses and failures at various checkpoints point out
Rob ________________________________ From: David Farber [mailto:dave@xxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thu 8/3/2006 08:44 To: ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [IP] more on search experience on "border" Begin forwarded message: From: Tom Fairlie <tfairlie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: August 3, 2006 8:24:14 AM EDT To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx, travis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [IP] more on search experience on "border"
And to what end?
We know that the Bush administration has long tried to earn points with religious fundamentalists. We also know that this same administration operates incompetently the majority of the time (both objective facts). Thus, creating a speed bump at our borders to keep out evil porn would be a good example of a policy that fits both MOs--it's appealing to prudes and ineffective/costly at the same time. We also know that the Bush administration has accelerated our descent into fascism. This isn't hyperbole; anyone who studies such things would at least admit that this is a debatable assertion. The stopping of good travelers at our borders for a little personal interrogation, while not effective at stopping anything, is a marvelous form of thought control (e.g., "Let's remember to not bring anything with us that might be considered offensive to our government." begets "Let's not say anything offensive to our government." begets "My government knows best.") I think the real answer is somewhere in the middle. As we've all discussed, the TSA has been largely ineffective and they aren't free. However, they have also now done a long list of things that, for better or worse, have forced millions of Americans to think twice before performing many different innocuous actions before traveling. Given that this list is growing and not shrinking based upon public outcry, I gather that my second option above is either part of the plan or just a happy coincidence. Tom Fairlie ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Farber" <dave@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 11:25 AM Subject: [IP] more on search experience on "border" Begin forwarded message: From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx> Date: July 31, 2006 12:21:00 PM EDT To: travis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, lauren@xxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [IP] search experience on "border"
From: Travis Kalanick <travis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
...
While operating my laptop he said that we was tasked with preventing illegal pornographic material from entering the United States
...
He returned my laptop after this warrantless search saying I was free
Dave,
And to what end -- other than going through the motions -- is such
a search?
Given a quick check, the border agent would be unlikely to find a
cache of porn photos that was compressed and archived in a single
encrypted file named C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB911567 or some other
obscure name -- not a single JPG porn file to be found in a file
scan.
Perhaps what's really going on in such border cases is some sort of
"amateur test" -- since any pro who wanted to bring porn (or any
other data) into the U.S. on a laptop would never leave the data in
an easily discovered form. But then again, why bother using the
laptop? How about putting an innocuous looking file on that cute
keychain memory dongle? Or on an iPod? Porn could be easily rigged
to look like an mp3 file, that could even play properly. Or why not
use some spare cell phone memory area? Or how about that 2 Gig
memory stick in the camera, or a miniSD memory card inserted
into an electric razor or the binding of a book?
To quote the wonderful episode "OBIT" from the original '60s
television series "The Outer Limits": "The machines are everywhere!"
Anyone with half a brain who wants to bring data into the U.S. can
do so without meaningful detection, short of a full body cavity
strip search and prolonged forensic analysis -- and even then the
true nature of any data might well be undiscovered.
All of the rest is for show, and perhaps to cull the low hanging fruit.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
- International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com
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