TSA Can Now Search Through Your Laptop

[sqwkvfr]

Don't tell me you are actually defending those fascist thugs. Open your eyes we are living in a police state.

God, what a bunch of children.

1. The TSA was NOT and WILL NOT be involved in this type of search...this was a CUSTOMS and BORDER PATROL CASE.

2. The TSA agents at the airport didn't tell the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals that this was OK.....if you know anything about the maverick nature and liberal makeup of the 9th circuit, you'd understand that NO ONE tells them how to rule.

3. The TSA had nothing to do with this....from everything I've found on this case, it would appear that soverytired just made up the part about the TSA's "soon to be" involvement.

Get it?

 

[av8tor4239]

God, what a bunch of children.

1. The TSA was NOT and WILL NOT be involved in this type of search...this was a CUSTOMS and BORDER PATROL CASE.

2. The TSA agents at the airport didn't tell the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals that this was OK.....if you know anything about the maverick nature and liberal makeup of the 9th circuit, you'd understand that NO ONE tells them how to rule.

3. The TSA had nothing to do with this....from everything I've found on this case, it would appear that soverytired just made up the part about the TSA's "soon to be" involvement.

Get it?

What ever...

the tsa is a freaking joke.... please justify to me how taking toothpaste from the pilot that is about to operate the airplane as "captain of the ship" is protecting that same airplane? Please someone explain this to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Soverytired]

Where does it say this?....i can't find it anywhere.

You are correct. The TSA is not mentioned in this article.

Although this was a customs case, customs is part of the same agency as the TSA (that agency being Homeland Security). If you think that the TSA isn't going to allow itself to use this as precedence, then you don't understand how law enforcement agencies work.

I have read several other articles on the web where this is already happening. A couple of passengers have already been given the choice of either entering their private passwords on their laptops so the TSA can search their laptops or not get on the plane.

I don't personally expect to be impacted by this. The TSA can root around to their hearts content. Hell, they can put my spare underwear on their head while reading my e-mail for all I care. I just don't like where this is going.

Scary stuff.

 

[sqwkvfr]

If you think that the TSA isn't going to allow itself to use this as precedence, then you don't understand how law enforcement agencies work.

Yeah, I don't know how they work...I only spent the better part of a decade working for law enforcement agencies (much of that as an instructor on these very issues) and I don't understand how they work.

Let me just clarify for the impaired: This is a BORDER issue...nothing more, nothing less.

 

[sqwkvfr]

What ever...

the tsa is a freaking joke.... please justify to me how taking toothpaste from the pilot that is about to operate the airplane as "captain of the ship" is protecting that same airplane? Please someone explain this to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you understand anything?

I'm not defending the TSA....at all. I'm saying that they're not involved in this type of search and nothing in this decision gives them the authority to do so.

They have absolutely NOTHING to do with this article of this tread.

 

[Abernathy]

Didn't you idiots know that you can hide a gun in your "My Documents" folder..

 

[Soverytired]

Yeah, I don't know how they work...I only spent the better part of a decade working for law enforcement agencies (much of that as an instructor on these very issues) and I don't understand how they work.

Let me just clarify for the impaired: This is a BORDER issue...nothing more, nothing less.

I'll defer to your expertise then. I'm not some "all cops are fascists" nut . . far from it.

Nevertheless . . . it seems a precedence has been set by a federal agency to examine your hard drive in the name of "national security", without a warrant, just because you were in their presence.

Can doing the same with your laptop be far behind when at the airport in the name of "airport security"?

Remember, from this particular case, the border patrol used "national security" as the cause/excuse, but in fact they were looking for evidence of child pornography. While I certainly don't defend THAT, it hardly seems like a "national security" issue. It was an overreach, although the 9th Circuit Court disagrees, so as a matter of law, I'm wrong.

I don't expect the TSA or customs to start seizing laptops willy-nilly. However, the precedence has been set, Americans shrug, and another bit of privacy vanishes in the name of "security."

Death by 1000 cuts?

 

[sqwkvfr]

Can doing the same with your laptop be far behind when at the airport in the name of "airport security"?

I would say "yes."

The government has a much greater interest in what is allowed into this country than what is carried on board an aircraft for a domestic flight.....it's why the burden required for a search in this case is so extremely low....and why the uber-liberal 9th overturned a lower court ruling to allow it. The "scope of the search" is very wide ranging to include issues of customs enforcement....which can include electronic data.

The scope of a search for the TSA on domestic flights is limited to weapons.....and electronic data on a computer is not an immediate threat or considered hazardous to said flight.

It's not gonna happen.

 

[johndt]

It's not gonna happen.

You don't mind if I copy this down for later I hope :-D

 

[Capi_Cafre']

It's not gonna happen.

Tomorrow? Agreed. Never's a stretch. Just in case you haven't noticed, airports are where your civil liberties go to die. If you've worked in law enforcement you know how much shakes out from stuff like running a random set of plates in an idle moment stopped in traffic. If the bar for probable cause has been lowered to the mere presence of nude photos on a computer, watch out. There are quite a few powerful people who see the 4th Amendment as little more than an inconvenience-you're dreaming if you don't think that they have the juice to parlay this decision into giving the TSA the authority to randomly inspect the contents of computers.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Take a screenshot of that TSA Gangsta video and use it as your PC desktop.

It'll be a hoot when they turn your laptop on and the desktop loads.

 

[Hawker800]

During my career in law enforcement I had the privilege of working a few years with U.S. Customs. They have the absolute right by law to inspect and search anything that comes across the border. Have had that authority for many many years. Nothing new there. World history teaches us that anytime a government gets a little power, it has a tendancy to abuse it. Such will be the case here. Because of this security business we are getting closer to a police state. Just my opinion.

 

[joe_pilot]

I have read several other articles on the web where this is already happening. A couple of passengers have already been given the choice of either entering their private passwords on their laptops so the TSA can search their laptops or not get on the plane.

Source please?

 

[ackattacker]

It's unclear to me that TSA will use this precedent. However I already feel that TSA oversteps their bounds. They should be looking for weapons period. I know of one small domestic airport where TSA routinely acts like "customs" and nabs people for small quantities of drugs. Basically TSA and the local law enforcement agency have set themselves up a nice cozy money making trap. I'm sure if they could search your computer and nab you for porn they would.

 

[sqwkvfr]

I know of one small domestic airport where TSA routinely acts like "customs" and nabs people for small quantities of drugs.

Anyone stupid enough to take any amount of dope on an aircraft deserves to spend a year in jail....just for being dumb.

Regardless, I'm sure that they're covered under the plain view doctrine.

 

[Soverytired]

Source please?

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/02/07/tsa-confiscating-lap.html

Unfortunately (for me)

This particular article originally cited the TSA behaving in this activity in Feb of this year. However, you'll note that the author of this posting revised his original article since I read it last, and he fingered the customs dept in the new article.

So . . . it would appear I jumped the gun on this one. Although I still think that the most recent court case lends itself to potential abuse. My opinion only.

Thanks for the civil replies folks (special credit to sqwkvfr). What a breath of fresh air on flightinfo . .

 

[FlyBarneyJets]

9/11 has been used as a crutch by the Bush Administration for just about all of their crimes against our civil liberties. Benjamin Franklin once said "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither."

Funny how its the VERY liberal 9th circuit court that allowed this.

 

[goodgig]

Just have it do this on power up:
http://www.thecleverest.com/countdown.swf

 

[Dick Cabeza]

This is my solution to the entire issue of "privacy" on my laptop. http://www.truecrypt.org/ I worry less about the TSA or Customs than I do the G.D. Crack Head stealing my Flight Bag and laptop. And I'm not defending the H.S.A.!

I put all sensitive data in an Encrypted folder "drive" that can't be seen or hacked. It's free, it's hack proof and when you want to see your encrypted data it takes 10 seconds and a password to access your hidden drive.

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

Toiletry Searching Agents

No, no. It's "Tub Stackers of America". Get it right.