US Customs can search and take your laptop without permission

[Bangkoktraveler]

If I had to travel with a laptop for what ever reason' date=' I would have a screen saver that said 'Fuck you U.S. Customs for invading my privacy'.

 

Or have a file titled Kiddie Porn and the same message when they opened it.

 

Wonder how that would play out? [/quote']

 

 

When you get out of jail for it let us know!

 

 

Has freedom of speech been done away with in the USA now?

 

If everybody in the USA showed up at the airport with [color:red]"How come my Uncle Sam is not on the no-fly list? He is a padeophile. He likes porking people in the arse"[/color] t-shirts, the USA might back down on their policy of trying to make money at labeling people terrorists.

 

Yea right.

 

You never had 100% freedom of speech. For example, try talking about making bombs, ect in an airport and you will find out fast about the relevant legal codes. Nor can you incite crowds to riot. Nor can you flat out lie about people. (Liable / slander)

 

But your a brave man so why not go for it! Put a few files named "kiddy porn" on your lap top and wear your shirt! Show some balls and flat out tell 'em about it. Let us know how it turns out for you.

 

No one is asking for 100% freedom of speech. No one expects it. We are all well aware of the limits of free speech and we have all accepted those limits. We're just demanding the freedom we were all granted and has been taken away.

 

The founders gave us the exceptions to freedom of speech. We were all taught their 'can't yell fire in a crowded theatre' example in grade school. The examples mentioned hurt other people or has the potential to.

 

How is my laptop hurting someone. Its my private property for another and how is my having a screen saver or a file that hurts no one when turned off but can only be seen when invading my personal property cause harm or potentialy cause harm to anyone?

 

I'm not arguing that I won't be arrested in all probability. I'm arguing why should I be? I am at pains to see how any judge who slept through constitutional law at law school could see my being detained for that message in the manner I described as within the rights of the US Customs to take action against me. They shouldn't be in my computer in the first place without probable cause. They're on a fishing expedition. On the sidewalk of the airport they'd need a search warrant.

 

If we want to argue that the U.S. customs have the right to search anything, then they could conceivably take urine and blood samples to see what I've put in my body.

 

Many of us have pics with the bar girls we met. We're all well aware how some of the legal age girls can look way younger than their real age. A U.S. customs agent could hold us until he gets verification that the pic you took getting blown 22 y.o. Noi is a legal age girl. How long would that take?

 

Laptops, cameras, digital or otherwise, even a roll of film, was seen as private before 911. How a fishing expedition for kiddie porn became part of the war on terrorism I'll never know. There are any number of harmless photos in our laptops and in our digital cameras of neices, nephews, daughters and sons that can be construed as kiddie porn. There are MUCH better way to catch pedos. Stopping every male with a laptop or camera isn't one of them.

 

Its complete and utter bullshit. They've (the government) has won. They've successfully been able to scare us with taking away our civil liberties if we say anything. I've long said anyone who stll thinks they live in a free and fair republic is living in a world that no longer exists.

 

 

 

If the government considers most if not all of us 'terrorist', then why don't they arrest us so we can have our day in court?

 

If enough people challenge them, they might get the message.

[ozpharlap]

Just flew back into Brisbane this morning, used the electronic passport facility, no customs officer, no questions ... even no delay in baggage search (have not had my bags searched in my last 10 trips back home)