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Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

idlewords.com

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Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#21

Post by kjksf »

mholt wrote: post #14
tptacek wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is that they cannot in fact make you turn travel mode off, because travel mode doesn't turn off. It's a time lock. The point is that while locked, Facebook and Google Mail are still usable; they just don't have your whole history available on them. If we stipulate that your second paragraph is true, then travel mode is in fact a complete countermeasure to that behavior. (I don't think it's true).

Why wouldn't they just detain you until the time runs out?

Because indefinite detention is not something they can lawfully do (in US, today).

In contrast, suspending 4th amendment at border has been made lawful by the courts.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#22

Post by enraged_camel »

tptacek wrote: post #4

To be effective, this would need to become a kind of norm for overseas travelers, the same way traveler's checks used to be. The idea would be that just as you don't carry a bag with your birth certificate, stock certificates, property titles, and jewelry with you, you also don't carry a 10 year archive of every email you've ever sent or a detailed list of every person you've ever spoken to. In particular, it needs t…

>>In particular, it needs to be normal enough that a significant fraction of all travelers do it.

Yes, exactly.

Border agents are trained to look for anything out of the ordinary. Currently, using a feature like this would immediately raise a huge red flag and encourage more questioning, detention and possibly even deportation based on the person's country of origin and the mood of the border agent.

Incidentally, that's why I think there is virtually zero chance for these types of features to take off: the system strongly discourages early adopters from trying them.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#23

Post by tptacek »

mholt wrote: post #14
tptacek wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is that they cannot in fact make you turn travel mode off, because travel mode doesn't turn off. It's a time lock. The point is that while locked, Facebook and Google Mail are still usable; they just don't have your whole history available on them. If we stipulate that your second paragraph is true, then travel mode is in fact a complete countermeasure to that behavior. (I don't think it's true).

Why wouldn't they just detain you until the time runs out?

Because the time lock would be so long as to make it impractical to do that.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#24

Post by robbiemitchell »

mholt wrote: post #14
tptacek wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is that they cannot in fact make you turn travel mode off, because travel mode doesn't turn off. It's a time lock. The point is that while locked, Facebook and Google Mail are still usable; they just don't have your whole history available on them. If we stipulate that your second paragraph is true, then travel mode is in fact a complete countermeasure to that behavior. (I don't think it's true).

Why wouldn't they just detain you until the time runs out?

Ideally it would not be evident that the account is in travel mode.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#25

Post by ecopoesis »

There is no technical solution to this. If you want there to be no searches of your phone when crossing the border, speak to your representative in Congress and your Senator. If they don't listen, then vote for someone else or even better, run yourself.

The only way this is going to change is with a change in the law.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#26

Post by jsmeaton »

mholt wrote: post #13
idlewords wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please read the entire post.

If you're referring to a configurable duration: setting an expiration doesn't work either. They'll just detain you for that length of time.

A week? 2? I don't think technology changes are the right approach here, but you wouldn't be setting travel mode for a duration equal to transit time through an airport.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#27

Post by chinathrow »

I feel that all technical modes will fail.

Why?

- We first had PIN numbers. Easyily cracked/defeated.

- We then had passwords. Provide them or go back home where you came from.

- We might have travel mode. Defeated or made illegal. Go back home.

I think the only resolution to this is political. Make these searches go away - worldwide - as we near a very bad precedent.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#29

Post by 4ad »

mholt wrote: post #14
tptacek wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is that they cannot in fact make you turn travel mode off, because travel mode doesn't turn off. It's a time lock. The point is that while locked, Facebook and Google Mail are still usable; they just don't have your whole history available on them. If we stipulate that your second paragraph is true, then travel mode is in fact a complete countermeasure to that behavior. (I don't think it's true).

Why wouldn't they just detain you until the time runs out?

They don't have to detain you at all, they just have to deny you entry. Travel mode on? GTFO!

In fact, this is already happening: http://www.dailyxtra.com/canada/news-and-ideas/news/us-custo...

> “They said, ‘Next time you come through, don’t have a cleared phone,’ and that was it. I wasn’t let through.

Technological countermeasures don't seem to work. Sure, they work in the sense that they protect your data, but if the border guy doesn't like you, technology won't save you. You will be sent on your way.

Re: Social Media Needs a Travel Mode

#30

Post by mholt »

tptacek wrote: post #23
mholt wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why wouldn't they just detain you until the time runs out?

Because the time lock would be so long as to make it impractical to do that.

Wouldn't that also render your account essentially useless when your trip is over? (Unless you're traveling for, what, years at a time?)
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