Live data from Hacker News

Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

cbc.ca

61–70 of 224 posts

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#61

As a European I have to say, that I associate these sort of things with totalitarian regimes and it is just unimaginable for me why the American society tolerates this while fighting for democracy elsewhere.

just fyi, this was in Canada. just as bad :(

Canada is in America, I knew that this would come, could not resist the bait ;-) Arguably the last part applies less to Canada.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#62
Unfortunately for our good hero at the border, this mess all needs to be tested in the courts. He's just the prop for whatever organizations want to line up behind him. Just as the 'prosecutors' will be the prop for the actors lined up behind the definition of their current policies.

See you in a decade when this all shakes out.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

just fyi, this was in Canada. just as bad :(

Canada is in America, I knew that this would come, could not resist the bait ;-) Arguably the last part applies less to Canada.

Them's fighting words, Eurasian!

Oh, yeah, it sort of is, isn't it.

Sorry. Here, have a maple doughnut.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#64

As a European I have to say, that I associate these sort of things with totalitarian regimes and it is just unimaginable for me why the American society tolerates this while fighting for democracy elsewhere.

It's different when we do it.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#65
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.

Yes, you can do that, and many business people now do exactly that when flying in/out of the US knowing that any data they carry across the US border is fair game.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#66
Interesting. I don't have a password. And I defy you to unlock my phone.

The question is "Can I be forced to unlock my own phone? Under what circumstances? Under what circumstances can I be charged for refusing to do so?"

If you haven't already guessed, I use a complex swipe pattern, one that uses all nine points and cannot be determined from reading the grease streaks, at least not easily. I know this because I moved to the current pattern after my daughter unlocked my phone by reading the grease streak. I changed the pattern and handed it back. It even used the previous pattern. She took one luck, uttered an obscenity, and handed back the phone.

Can I be compelled to describe how to perform the swipe? To describe the pattern? To guide the agent? Interesting questions....

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#67

As a European I have to say, that I associate these sort of things with totalitarian regimes and it is just unimaginable for me why the American society tolerates this while fighting for democracy elsewhere.

It's not that we tolerate it, it's that our voting populace is largely single issue voters and don't really care about whether the next president wants to remove the Patriot Act. They care about social issues like reproductive rights. Added to mostly binary voting (two party system) means you only have two real choices that are polar opposites on the hot button social issues.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#69

As a European I have to say, that I associate these sort of things with totalitarian regimes and it is just unimaginable for me why the American society tolerates this while fighting for democracy elsewhere.

If you had bothered to read the article you would know this was Canadian Border Patrol.
Post reply on HN