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A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

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Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#151

Post by M_Grey »

cylinder wrote: post #130
pveierland wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So how do you protect yourself? I don't believe any of the technical solutions mentioned in this thread; using a dumb phone, multiple identities and/or false data for plausible deniability, wiping the phone before passing the border, is viable for a larger number of people. They also fail once a border agent insists on accessing an email account for which they know you have the password. The only protection is thro…

Just don't give them any passwords or unlock anything if you are a US citizen. Let them try to detain a US citizen indefinitely for it.

I wouldn't want to be that test case for the Trump administration.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#152

Post by AlexCoventry »

makecheck wrote: post #129

There are at least four facts that should cause stuff like this to be discontinued immediately: — It is not only possible to acquire electronic data after crossing a checkpoint but there are many ways of doing so . — There is no possible way for the contents of a phone to be a threat to TRANSPORTATION security, which is theoretically the only reason someone should care when you’re crossing a border, boarding a plane,…

> — Even if something “suspicious” is found, that is not guilt and no charges can be laid so what is the point!?

I'm not defending this highly disturbing practice, but the point is that it's a political test. If they find anything politically disturbing on the phone, they can refuse you entry.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#153

Post by keithnz »

vidarh wrote: post #44
masklinn wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So how do you protect yourself? Wipe phone when you pass through border, restore afterwards. If you're really paranoid, if the device leaves your presence it's to be considered physically compromised.

It is bizarre that we're now having to consider the type of preparation you previously would want to consider for places like China. I'm really not sure if I want to visit the US at all while Trump is in power. Not because I expect the chances of any severe problems are all that huge, but because the growing lack of predictability is just creating sufficient friction.

pretty sure this is common in many countries. I know here in NZ they have had that right. Though, there was a bit of a backlash against that and they (government) were looking at changing so that there are reasonable grounds for search. Quick search seems to indicate UK and Australia is similar.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#154

Post by yardie »

Mikeb85 wrote: post #98
yardie wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do Canadians honestly believe their shit don't stink?

No, just tired of all the virtue signalling that left-wingers are doing these days, when Obama merely continued the shitty policies that Bush started (and Clinton wasn't any better), and our Liberal government is continuing most of the shitty policies the Harper government started, and is even breaking election promises already. Canada is in general more willing to criticize our politicians on both sides, but the vir…

If you missed out there were a lot of lefties who didn't vote for Clinton. Paving the way for Trump. Hell, I know lots of libertarians who voted for him in protest not actually expecting him to win.

Speaking of globalism where was the right wing during the WIPO protests? So the right didn't recognize globalism would be a problem until it started to be a problem. Meanwhile the lefties, the really old ones, were out there protesting in Seattle and NYC, London.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#155

Post by mrtksn »

waqf wrote: post #133
krab wrote: post #103

As a EU citizen, I see these events from a bit different angle. I have visited US several times and the atmosphere and behaviour of both the customs officers and the TSA personnel gets more and more overlooking. I have never went through such extended search but going across a US airport feels really uncomfortable, to the extent I haven't seen in another country (UK comes close, though). The thing is Trump only added…

I'm curious, can you tell me what bad experiences EU passport holders have, or fear to have, at UK airports?

Currently, when an EU citizen enters UK from the Heathrow Airport we can just scan our passports on the machine and get through. Usually there would be a nice lady to assist you if you are having trouble with the scanning.

Usually there isn't even other personnel around. I never encountered any checks or questioning.

But then again, the British tend to be very civil and I can't imagine getting a treatment similar to those we keep hearing about US borders.

I hope Brexit doesn't change this too much.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#156

Post by corford »

waqf wrote: post #133
krab wrote: post #103

As a EU citizen, I see these events from a bit different angle. I have visited US several times and the atmosphere and behaviour of both the customs officers and the TSA personnel gets more and more overlooking. I have never went through such extended search but going across a US airport feels really uncomfortable, to the extent I haven't seen in another country (UK comes close, though). The thing is Trump only added…

I'm curious, can you tell me what bad experiences EU passport holders have, or fear to have, at UK airports?

Dilapidated arrival halls, endless lines and queues in the peak season, aggressive UK Border posters everywhere that make you feel like you're entering a prison visiting lounge, face/RFID scanners that frequently crap out, miserable/hostile border staff barking at you. I felt like a harassed cow going through an industrialised slaughter house the last time I flew in to Gatwick in the Summer.

Quite a contrast when you're used to travelling between Schengen area countries (or in my case, watching my French wife enjoy the benefits).

Will be fun to see how closely we start emulating the US once Brexit happens. Am sure my EU friends will love having all 10 of their fingers on file and a thorough "why are you here? how long for? where are you staying? when are you leaving?" questioning session every time they pass through...

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#157

Post by DanBC »

shripadk wrote: post #102
yardie wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you bother to read the article? He was detained coming into the country. Just call a spade a spade. Trump wrote a shitty, racist executive order and people from all walks of life who happen to have one thing in common, a Muslim sounding name, are caught up in it.

How is "Sidd Bikkannavar" even remotely "Muslim sounding"? It's a Hindu name. He probably shortened it from "Siddarth" Bikkannavar to Sidd Bikkannavar like most Hindus in foreign countries do. Bikkannavar is a place in Karnataka, India. Maybe that is his parent's place of origin.

Facebook created a new feature. They made an ad for it. The ad included a Sikh person.

http://www.salon.com/2014/12/10/whats_up_with_the_rag_head_w...

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#158

Post by psybin »

jakobdabo wrote: post #148
blubb-fish wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly - and some smart people do actually have "dumb" phones. Or sometimes I think about ditching my GUI Linux for something really basic - same reason why some people stick with dumb phones - now what happens if I hand over full control over my neat z-shell to the TSA? Will he grep around or just consider me dangerous?

I suggest installing a shell OS (with a neat GUI, no hacker-ish looks) on the Notebook's first partition, the rest (where the main Linux installation is residing) will be encrypted and can be decrypted and booted into only using a USB bootloader with the missing LUKS header (which can be downloaded later using a VPN, for example).

If they ask you "is there any hidden data on this device", you would have to respond in the affirmative. Lying to a border guard is a felony, there's no cute technical solution to this. They will, according to their own paperwork, make copies of any data they find interesting for future analysis.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#159

Post by psybin »

draugadrotten wrote: post #111
Jonnax wrote: post #10

Their point about how other countries will take the US's stance as a cue is somewhat scary. If you try and cross any border it will be relinquishing access to all accounts. I'm assuming email also comes along with 'social media', since communication is by its definition social. So how do you protect yourself? I think just going with "Don't have any social media" isn't a good answer because the relationship that child…

> So how do you protect yourself? It is time for all cloud services to provide plausible deniability by allowing for multiple passwords to access the same social account - but where all the passwords except the One allows for only a subset of the account. E.g. logon to Facebook using password 'plausible1' and see only friend 1 and friend 2. Logon to facebook using password 'everything' and see friend 1 and 2 but frie…

Are you using a system to hide information from us? Answer in the negative and you just committed a felony.

Re: A US-born NASA scientist was detained at the border until he unlocked his phone

#160

Post by XorNot »

masklinn wrote: post #23
Jonnax wrote: post #10

Their point about how other countries will take the US's stance as a cue is somewhat scary. If you try and cross any border it will be relinquishing access to all accounts. I'm assuming email also comes along with 'social media', since communication is by its definition social. So how do you protect yourself? I think just going with "Don't have any social media" isn't a good answer because the relationship that child…

> So how do you protect yourself? Wipe phone when you pass through border, restore afterwards. If you're really paranoid, if the device leaves your presence it's to be considered physically compromised.

This is actually what I'll be doing when I visit Hawaii later this year. Same with my laptop.

Visiting the US now demands exactly the same measures as visiting China.

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