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Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

arstechnica.com

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Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#111

Post by philpem »

aflag wrote: post #52
User23 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until a court rules that they can ask for your encrypted remote backup because reasons. And then hold you in contempt until you comply. This isn’t a technical problem, it’s a political one, which means it demands a political solution.

You can leave your phone at home and buy another one in the new location. That's why they have phone shops in the airports.

As silly as this sounds, it was standard procedure for one company I worked with. Don't bring your phone, get one from the US office. Same with laptops.

Didn't half speed up border crossings when your itinerary is a week and all you have are your clothes, your passport, some travel money and your tickets.

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#112

Post by throwaway_45 »

zachberger wrote: post #60
bruceb wrote: post #22

The problem with Customs and Border Protection is the attitude. They do have a challenging job. 99%+ of travelers are legit and doing nothing nefarious. They have to pick out the ones who are not legit/up to no good. I have no problem with them asking questions of myself or other travelers, even a lot of questions. The problem is the attitude and abusive nature of their conduct. I have had this experience a couple ti…

I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people who travel less frequently were leaving the bins behind instead of putting them in the machine to be returned to the front. The TSA agent shouted at them repeatedly, "do any of you read English? Can't you read the damn sign?" While he pointed at the instructions.…

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Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#113

Post by microtherion »

dawnerd wrote: post #66
zachberger wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people who travel less frequently were leaving the bins behind instead of putting them in the machine to be returned to the front. The TSA agent shouted at them repeatedly, "do any of you read English? Can't you read the damn sign?" While he pointed at the instructions.…

I travel frequently and those machines at lax always throw me off. And they expect you to stand right up next to someone else while you empty your pockets. Literally feels like I’m cattle.

Cattle has pockets? Did you grow up on a kangaroo farm?

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#114

Post by pedrocr »

bruceb wrote: post #22

The problem with Customs and Border Protection is the attitude. They do have a challenging job. 99%+ of travelers are legit and doing nothing nefarious. They have to pick out the ones who are not legit/up to no good. I have no problem with them asking questions of myself or other travelers, even a lot of questions. The problem is the attitude and abusive nature of their conduct. I have had this experience a couple ti…

> I have no problem with them asking questions of myself or other travelers, even a lot of questions.

According to your own rules you only really have to demonstrate citizenship. Whereas in this case that was already established and the person was still being harassed. I'm not a US citizen but did study in the US for a while. I've decided against going back to the US for almost a decade now because of this. Your own officers don't follow your own rules about your own citizens. I'm not chancing it as a foreigner.

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#115

Post by zemvpferreira »

throwaway_45 wrote: post #112
zachberger wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people who travel less frequently were leaving the bins behind instead of putting them in the machine to be returned to the front. The TSA agent shouted at them repeatedly, "do any of you read English? Can't you read the damn sign?" While he pointed at the instructions.…

-

As someone who used to take about 50 flights per year for work, I’ve been abused by TSA officers of all races equally. Take your barely hidden racism somewhere else.

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#116

Post by philpem »

cronix wrote: post #26
gabrielmoshe wrote: post #3

This is certainly not the first article of its kind, and the legality of such action seems to be upheld in court (at least the use of search without a warrant at the border). So, the selfish question then is: How do I protect myself from such unwarranted searches? Is there a way I can present my phone such that it drops into a mode that contains no data? Do I need to back my phone up before traveling, wipe it for the…

Back it up to the cloud and wipe it. Download backup on other side. Sure, officer, have at it .

"Why is your phone completely blank? What are you trying to hide? Give me your Facebook login or you're going nowhere. Okay thanks, but you're still going nowhere... and your flight just left. That'll be $2000 for a new ticket."

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#117

Post by lotsofpulp »

zachberger wrote: post #60
bruceb wrote: post #22

The problem with Customs and Border Protection is the attitude. They do have a challenging job. 99%+ of travelers are legit and doing nothing nefarious. They have to pick out the ones who are not legit/up to no good. I have no problem with them asking questions of myself or other travelers, even a lot of questions. The problem is the attitude and abusive nature of their conduct. I have had this experience a couple ti…

I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people who travel less frequently were leaving the bins behind instead of putting them in the machine to be returned to the front. The TSA agent shouted at them repeatedly, "do any of you read English? Can't you read the damn sign?" While he pointed at the instructions.…

TSA is a jobs program for people who aren’t willing to do real work.

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#118

Post by philpem »

Vinnl wrote: post #93
petre wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just make sure you phone's battery is dead. Then you won't be able to unlock it anyway.

Hmm, I'm wondering how they'd respond if you stored your battery in your checked baggage...

"Just wait here sir, we'll get that... Also you're going to be charged with checking a lithium battery into the hold, you're not allowed to do that."

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#119

Post by Rumperuu »

dijit wrote: post #92
bpchaps wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdote: About a year ago, I went through TSA and asked to opt out of the body scans in place of a pat down. Another agent on the side watched the whole thing and made kissing faces my way the whole time while making gay jokes. It was extremely belittling. Fuck TSA.

Are you me? Had a really similar experience until I said that “this is the cheapest rub job I’ve ever gotten” and winked at him. He didn’t appreciate that. Tbh I seem to be making it my life’s work to be a little shit at airport security. I will _never_ use the millimetre scanner which seems to be a huge point of contentenion. And, while not TSA, the Gatwick airport security were trying very hard to convince me that…

What happens if you decline the millimetre scanner in a UK airport?

Gov't guidance states that ‘...the individual must either be screened by an alternative method which includes at least an enhanced hand search in private...’ [0]. Is that just a standard pat-down, or is it more ‘eeny meeny miney mo, I wonder where my glove will go?’

[0] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm...

Re: Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport

#120

Post by jpatokal »

dijit wrote: post #92
bpchaps wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdote: About a year ago, I went through TSA and asked to opt out of the body scans in place of a pat down. Another agent on the side watched the whole thing and made kissing faces my way the whole time while making gay jokes. It was extremely belittling. Fuck TSA.

Are you me? Had a really similar experience until I said that “this is the cheapest rub job I’ve ever gotten” and winked at him. He didn’t appreciate that. Tbh I seem to be making it my life’s work to be a little shit at airport security. I will _never_ use the millimetre scanner which seems to be a huge point of contentenion. And, while not TSA, the Gatwick airport security were trying very hard to convince me that…

Don't come to Australia: no opt-outs here, either you submit to the scan or you don't fly today.
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