Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 212 posts

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#121

Post by ajross »

kbenson wrote: post #88
ajross wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, are you equating needless bureaucratic red tape in a non-profit's application for tax-exempt status to the seizure of a private citizen's phone and laptop?

I think they are equating "this kind of harassment through scrutiny" as stated specifically in the top level comment.

And that point falls down when the "scrutiny" isn't equivalent. The grandparent was clearly jumping in to make a partisan point (e.g. to say that there is no partisan lean to the demographics subject to this harrassment). And the evidence simply doesn't back that up.

The government harrasses minorities and progressive groups with this kind of tactic far more than it does white middle class folks, and trying to pretend that playing games with a 501(c)(3) application is somehow "the same" is just laughable.

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#122

Post by komali2 »

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #5

I am TOTALLY ok with TSA reading my last text messages before I go on a flight. Those last few texts someone sends before committing a terrorist action, could send an extremely strong signal to authorities and possibly prevent a disaster. If the extra security results in a strange TSA agent getting to enjoy some surprise dick pics, well that's the price of freedom Jerry.

Is every person in your contact list ok with it?

Is your partner, who sent you private pictures, ok with it?

Is your company ok with internal emails being read by the TSA?

Does giving access to your accounts on certain apps and websites to the TSA violate the TOS of any of those apps or websites?

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#123

Post by sk5t »

derefr wrote: post #23
jMyles wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Presumably, air travel is a privilege, not a right, just like driving a car is. Freedom of movement is a privilege, not a right? What can you possibly be talking about? Did I miss a memo? The United States (and other common law societies) have a long history of enshrining freedom of movement as a fundamental right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_Unit... Also, be reminded that the USA voted…

Freedom of movement no more guarantees your right to purchase a ticket aboard a private, commercial flight, than freedom of speech guarantees your right to post to a private, commercial forum. What freedom of movement does guarantee, to be clear, is that you're: 1. allowed to own your own plane; 4. allowed to fly said plane over pretty much any American airspace, other than specific little zones cordoned off by the m…

It is the government, via TSA, ICE, etc., and not Delta or Lufthansa or whoever, that most impedes the feasibility of air travel. Let us put to bed the notion that freedom of movement means only the freedom to walk on foot or to take absurd measures to avoid contracting with private or public entities that exist expressly for the purpose of serving travelers.

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#124

Post by oldandtired »

mikeash wrote: post #63
syshum wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>They take the devices away for some period, but if they’re securely locked, TSA won’t be able to get anything from them. You have no way of knowing that, or if they are doing anything to the hardware, cloning the SIM, adding tracking, or simply cloning the flash for possible evaluation later Further it should be considered unconstitutional for them to even take it for 1 second. > If it’s some fancy explosives sniff…

I trust the crypto used by my devices. Searching electronics for explosives isn’t security theater. That’s a real threat vector and an effective counter to that threat.

It is theatre if it is applied randomly. It is not if all devices are tested equally. The same goes for testing of people. Unless all are tested, random checks are just about useless, since there will be a pattern to the selection of people for "random" testing.

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#125

Post by jancsika »

mulmen wrote: post #82
ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #5

I am TOTALLY ok with TSA reading my last text messages before I go on a flight. Those last few texts someone sends before committing a terrorist action, could send an extremely strong signal to authorities and possibly prevent a disaster. If the extra security results in a strange TSA agent getting to enjoy some surprise dick pics, well that's the price of freedom Jerry.

The price of freedom cannot be freedom itself.

But it could be a reference to freedom. :)

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#126

Post by justinjlynn »

lovich wrote: post #120
justinjlynn wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I should clarify: If them looking through my data is not optional and I can't refuse, and I'm not at a border crossing (which is still bullshit imo, but well trodden precedent), they'd better have goddamn signed warrant.

Isn't the argument that every international airport constitutes a border, and every mile of beach, and every mile of an actual border? That zone covers the majority of the population of the US constantly.

This is a concern, yes.

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#127

Post by ianferrel »

jklinger410 wrote: post #92
AnimalMuppet wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think they can stop you from moving in a car. They can stop you from driving one, though...

Yes you can pre-arrange a ride. Hitch-hiking is illegal in some states. You can pay for a taxi, buy a train or plane ticket. The latter provided you are not on any lists and don't mind your things being x-rayed and/or searched. Really paying for rides in a car is the last great bastion of free movement (provided you don't get randomly stopped and searched in a checkpoint of some kind) in the U.S. Although, most of th…

> Hitch-hiking is mostly illegal in most states

No it isn't. There are only a few states where it's illegal.

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#128

Post by lovich »

derefr wrote: post #23
jMyles wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Presumably, air travel is a privilege, not a right, just like driving a car is. Freedom of movement is a privilege, not a right? What can you possibly be talking about? Did I miss a memo? The United States (and other common law societies) have a long history of enshrining freedom of movement as a fundamental right. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_Unit... Also, be reminded that the USA voted…

Freedom of movement no more guarantees your right to purchase a ticket aboard a private, commercial flight, than freedom of speech guarantees your right to post to a private, commercial forum. What freedom of movement does guarantee, to be clear, is that you're: 1. allowed to own your own plane; 4. allowed to fly said plane over pretty much any American airspace, other than specific little zones cordoned off by the m…

The existence of a pilots license necessary to fly a plane makes this incorrect off the get go

Re: Questions for TSA after reports of laptop and phone searches on domestic flights

#130

Post by Chaebixi »

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #5

I am TOTALLY ok with TSA reading my last text messages before I go on a flight. Those last few texts someone sends before committing a terrorist action, could send an extremely strong signal to authorities and possibly prevent a disaster. If the extra security results in a strange TSA agent getting to enjoy some surprise dick pics, well that's the price of freedom Jerry.

Soon to be in the terrorist's opsec handbook: don't fly with the phone you use to talk terrorist ringleaders.
Post reply on HN