In what was presented to the public this week as a clarification of its privacy policy, the US Dept. of Homeland Security published a paper referring to new guidelines for its immigration and customs agents regarding how they may conduct border searches of travelers’ computers and electronic media. Clarifying the existing law, both sets of guidelines reiterated the department’s policy created during the previous administration: Agents may seize, detain, and/or retain individuals’ PCs and media without having reason to suspect that those people or those machines and devices are connected with a crime.
This is ridiculous. But my advice, smile a lot and tell these idiots (if it is an idiot in which you have to deal with) that you appreciate the fact that they are protecting you from terrorists.
#61 – Greg Allen
It’s a matter of privacy. The government never had the right to open your private snail mail, but for some reason, they think they’re allowed to read all your emails. You don’t have to be a right-wing militia nut to think this isn’t right.
#62 – Greg Allen
Even a totalitarian regime like China allows SSL, so you can just download your encrypted file from a secure server. They won’t find out unless they’ve hacked your machine.
I took a security course a while back, where they talked about – among other things – steganography… it’s amazing how much information you can hide inside for instance an image without anybody seeing it.
#57, Jag,
The things ya c’n learn on the internetwebtubies thingsamajigs. All theses years I was wrong on that point.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Crossing borders with a clean laptop and then d/l the material from some web site is just as wrong headed. The government can and does monitor ALL traffic crossing the border. Encrypted material can and will get their attention.
While you might be secure in your own home against unreasonable search and seizure, try crossing a border with your home on wheels and use the same argument. It has been that way for as long as I know of.
#64 – Mr. Fusion – Thank you for pointing that out.
No problem. That’s what the Internets are for… 😉
#65 – Mr. Fusion – The government can and does monitor ALL traffic crossing the border. Encrypted material can and will get their attention.
And how much of that encrypted data (we’re talking about TBs of data per day) do they try to decrypt? I’ve never heard of US law enforcement agencies arresting people for running TOR or encrypted torrents.
# 66 Jägermeister,
Yes there are limitations to what the government can do.
All I am saying, it’s not a static game.
Gov is working hard on new hardware, software (better algorithms) and facilities to expand it’s capabilities to crack any code thrown at them. They also do the same to track all forms of electronic communications.
Bin Laden kerned the best way to communicate with the world was to throw his phone and electronics away.
#67 – noname – it’s not a static game.
Fully agree. Let’s follow the arms race. It’s a good mother of invention.
Gov is working hard on new hardware…
Yes, they are… the big leap will be when the get real quantum computers. Right now they’re just in their infancy (currently they’re just fiddling around with a few memory cells), but some 20 years down the road, they’re probably a reality. Simulations that took months to make with todays super computers, will take mere minutes with a quantum computer. So, yes… cracking encrypted files in a reasonable time will be within reach. But then again… we’ll probably have way longer keys and perhaps way different algorithms. 😉
#66, Jag,
Good point. I would imagine, simply because I don’t know, the “government” is sufficiently versed in deciphering encryption this isn’t such a problem. I also imagine they can also guess that a message coming (for example) from Siemans in Germany to a GE email address in America that the message will be legit. On the other hand a large email from a Romanian server to Joe Smuck in East Bumfuck Idaho might warrant deeper investigation.
My assumption is the BP is looking more for kiddie porn than anything else. Movies and music are too easily down loadable through regular internet channels. Busting someone with kiddie porn is a much bigger deal than busting someone with an illegal copy of Tropic Thunder or Dark Side of the Moon.
The BP is aware of politics. If they get carried away they will end up effectively stopping cross border traffic. Too many communities are closely tied to that traffic to have it stop.