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

Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

cbc.ca

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 224 posts

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#31

Post by cpncrunch »

guard-of-terra wrote: post #19

Does our world have even one country that is not awful but at least passable? (Preferrably one you can actually live in?) The shrinking life space makes me contemplate suicide.

Despite this, Canada is still one of the best countries to live in, IMO. It's still safer and more free than virtually any other country in the world (including the USA). The only lack of freedom is the possibility of being shipped in handcuffs to the USA if you do something that is perfectly legal in Canada but illegal in the USA (mailing cannabis seeds or running an online gambling business for example). However even that slight lack of freedom isn't really an issue for the vast majority of people.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#32

Post by loceng »

Someone1234 wrote: post #14
loceng wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing they knew the text messages existed before they requested to see the phone.

Why? I've been stopped entering the US for similar reasons, and they searched everything. Read every piece of paper, they even switched on my camera and flicked through the pictures asking me questions about what they found, they didn't search my phone but only because they didn't run across it during the search (my backpack has very many pockets, and they missed a few). I have no doubt at all that they routinely sea…

You need to make it commonplace so people become tolerant to it. It doesn't mean there isn't specific targeting done with private data prior to.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#33

Post by guard-of-terra »

markcerqueira wrote: post #21
guard-of-terra wrote: post #19

Does our world have even one country that is not awful but at least passable? (Preferrably one you can actually live in?) The shrinking life space makes me contemplate suicide.

If you're actually contemplating suicide (and just making an insensitive joke), you should talk to someone bro.

Am not I already?

The problem is not in suppressing impulses, but in finding a way to live a satisfactory life. Which is becoming harder and harder. Rationally, why continue living if you feel under water most of time?

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#34

Post by loceng »

chc wrote: post #6
loceng wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing they knew the text messages existed before they requested to see the phone.

That seems like a pretty wild guess.

I can only assume you don't know what the NSA has been up to?

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#35

Post by shpx »

Do we not have a "you shall not be compelled to testify against your own person" in Canada?

For those unaware, here in Canada they've started playing catch-up ever since the snowden leaks, and they've been doing it with the same strategy (wait for any kind of terrorist attack and manipulate the people)

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#36

Post by TylerJay »

fooqux wrote: post #18
sneak wrote: post #7

The idea of nations and borders is one the time for has passed. I personally don't care what invisible, made-up lines you were born within or without. Do you?

Actually, yes I do. I care that I was not born inside the invisible lines of an oppressive regime. I'm also sure there are many women who are glad they weren't born in the invisible lines comprising India. There are many other examples. Considering the amount of rights you posses correlate directly to what invisible lines you're currently in, I think just about everybody cares, actually. Until nation states actually…

So... You're right, of course, but I think the spirit of TC's comment was that he or she doesn't like the idea of nations and thinks people just just be able to go/live wherever they want. In that sense, the two of you actually seem to agree with the core sentiment that "where you're born shouldn't matter," I don't think anyone's trying to argue that it currently doesn't.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#38

Post by toomuchtodo »

udev wrote: post #28

"Under the Customs Act, customs officers are allowed to inspect things that you have, that you're bringing into the country," - Here's my phone, sir. - I see it has a password, give me the password. - Mhhh... OK. It is 1234. - Oh, I see you have Dropbox app installed. I need the Dropbox password. - Mhhh... OK. It is 5678. - Oh I see you have a GPG encrypted file in Dropbox. I will need to decrypt that. Give me the pa…

Could you not backup your device, wipe it at the border, and then when they request the password simply say "There is no data on the device. Its as it comes from the factory" and hand it to them?

You could then perform an over the air recovery once safely away from the border.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#40

Post by barrkel »

stevewepay wrote: post #12
loceng wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing they knew the text messages existed before they requested to see the phone.

No, they did not know it existed. I'm sure they suspected something (no idea why), but they just pulled over her entire family's car, and did a blanket search. She was on H1B, so she lost her job and had to fly back to Asia with nothing except the clothes she packed for a weekend road trip to Canada.

More validation of my decision not to move to the US after I got my H-1B.
Post reply on HN