TSA Can Now Search Through Your Laptop

[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.