A new issue involving laptops and international travel

[johnastovall]

If you are traveling internationally with a laptop this maybe the next thing you have to deal with.

Clarity Sought on Electronics Searches

[JohnT]

I'm so glad I don't have to fly. Sigh...

[Angelo]

I haven't had any problems, but thanks for the warning.

[Howard Barlow]

At this point, at least, it's a non-issue. Jan. 6, my group of 4 came back from a trip to Russia, Polond, and Latvia. As usual, we walked on through with 4 laptops, like thousands do every day.

There was, apparently, something that caught the attention of the customs folks. Consider the 1,000's of laptops that stream by them every day. Moot point.

[Steelsun]

Here I sit at Hobby airport jacked into my Verizon cell card for access and a 40D with 4 lithium batteries and a XTi with 3 batteries next to me, and had no problems with security.

Yet I've traveled before with only a paper spiral notebook and was nearly strip searched.

Gotta wonder.

[kenw]

Howard said: "There was, apparently, something that caught the attention of the customs folks."


exactly. Most so-called horror stories have the real story hidden somewhere.

[Rson]

True, I just got back from Paris and Vienna. They barely even looked at my laptop.

[Timm]

The EFF are not going to go quietly!

From the Register - a UK tech news site.

[LoungeLizard]

I just got back from The Heights and I was not searched upon entering Tomball again.

[Toad]

This reminds me of another case I have my eye on. The one about the man coming across the border with "alleged" child porn on his laptop, which the border person saw, but which is now locked on an encrypted drive.
The problem is, if he has child porn, he should get in trouble for it. On the flip side, I fully support him not giving the key to the encryption to the authorities under grounds that it would violate his 5th amendment.
It does tell me one thing though, PGP encryption is really really REALLY good if the government can't get past it.
Toad