Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border • Hacker News Board

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#81

Post by allendoerfer » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:30 PM UTC

task_queue wrote: post #64

allendoerfer wrote: post #56

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.

Yeah, with torture etc., because of course we are only doing it to the bad guys to save lives and so on.

But this affects your own people even those people, that have enough money to fly out of your massive country and not some messy and suspective underclass.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#82

Post by userbinator » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:30 PM UTC

I wonder if it would be considered even more suspicious to not carry any phones or other electronic devices at all across a border?

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#83

Post by wil421 » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:33 PM UTC

DanBC wrote: post #46

ignostic wrote: post #17

Customs officials forcing you to unlock your phone is not just an invasion of privacy - it's a pointless invasion of privacy. Customs agents don't even know where to start in finding data that a user wants hidden. Even if allowed access to personal devices, data is slippery enough that it could be stored in almost anything. Here's yet another example of taking away rights in a way that does nothing to deter actual cr…

Like David Miranda? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/18/glenn-greenwald...

Now that was a political maneuver. The article about the guy in Canada didn't say what the reason was for searching him.

>"Officers are trained in examination, investigative and questioning techniques. To divulge our approach may render our techniques ineffective. Officers are trained to look for indicators of deception and use a risk management approach in determining which goods may warrant a closer look"

This statement makes it look like they noticed something about him that prompted the search.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#84

Post by allendoerfer » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:33 PM UTC

happyscrappy wrote: post #69

allendoerfer wrote: post #56

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.

I was indeed referring to both Canada (because of this article) and the US (because of previously read articles) and therefore used your continents name in anticipation of comments like this.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#85

Post by astrobe_ » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:34 PM UTC

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…

Is "Sorry, I forgot my password" an option here?

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#86

Post by robertfw » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

allendoerfer wrote: post #61

robertfw wrote: post #60

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.

We are currently facing legislation (Bill C-51) that, when passed, will do quite a number on our democratic freedoms. :(

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#87

Post by GigabyteCoin » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

DennisP wrote: post #8

Smartphones should have optional extra user accounts, with no indication of whether they exist. Same phone number, but the account you use is the one that records the history. Keep one mostly clean and that's the one you unlock.

That sounds a lot like how TrueCrypt worked, before the developers discontinued it's development for unknown reasons.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#88

Post by krick » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:37 PM UTC

allendoerfer wrote: post #56

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.

I would say that "tolerating" this is exactly the same flavor as "fighting for democracy": both terms are misleading at best.

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#89

Post by wongarsu » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:37 PM UTC

Them being allowed to search my phone is one thing, but how is not unlocking it "obstructing border officials"?

Where I come from (Europe), you aren't required by law to help police (or border officials). If they come with a warrant to search your house and your door is closed, you aren't allowed to obstruct them by barricading your door but you are not required to help them by opening your door either (be prepared to pay for your new door though). Is that different in Canada?

Re: Canadian Charged for Not Unlocking Smartphone at Canadian Border

#90

Post by kylegordon » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 10:38 PM UTC

mattm wrote: post #73

nasalgoat wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I brought out my phone to bring up an email showing the ebay ad for the car in question and at that point they asked me to hand over my phone. From now on, I'm backing it up and wiping it before I get to the border. Just on principle.

Unfortunately, the best policy when dealing with these people is "say and do as little as possible". Give one word answers and don't offer any other information that you're specifically asked for. Also, don't engage in any friendly conversation. I tried that before and would get hounded by questions whereas if I just answer "Yes", "no", "2 weeks", "travelling" then I get through much more quickly.

I ended up in a conversation with a moronic border security twat on my only ever business trip to the states.

"So your company writes software for Americans?" "So an American company bought your company?" "So your company is now owned by Americans? Why didn't they write the software here?" "If it's now American, why can't the training be provided by Americans?"

I was pretty sure he was going to ask why the fuck I wasn't time travelling in order to ensure everything was done by Americans.

All this after enduring repeated announcements for military personnel to come and enjoy the FREEDOM LOUNGE in Denver or Detroit, whatever shithole it was that I was travelling through.

From my view as a non-American? Farcical.