This might be the closest to the thought police we'll ever experience. At least I hope it is. Seizing and scanning any electronic device that crosses the border seems like a large invasion of privacy. Yes, it is unreasonable to randomly seize a laptop, copy its contents (which may include any information stored online that cookies or stored passwords will access), crack any encrypted file that might be found and store the results in a massive government database for undisclosed periods of time.But we're talking about ANY electronic device capable of storing information. So your pda, blackberry, cell phone, iPod, usb drive and cd collection are all up for grabs too. (the feds won't have to coerce telcoms into illegally releasing phone records, they'll just download them from our handsets). But lets not stop there. What else do you have that carries information? Got any credit cards? Gift cards? Transit cards? Key fob? Library card? Wristwatch? Pedometer? It all goes into the database. No suspicion needed, just because you're there.
Remember carnivore? Well forget having to send data to someone else to have it intercepted. All you need to do is cross one of the borders of your own god damn country and your govenment will help itself to all the information you never had to consider was personal or private.
Proponents say they're preventing "criminals and terrorists with a means to smuggle child pornography or
other dangerous and illegal computer files into the country" with this warrantles (yet currently legal) policy. But lets face it, there are better ways of smuggling data into the country than shoving a usb drive up your backside and standing in line at customs. (are you guys searching all the UPS boxes that cross the border too?)
But lets say you're not at all concerned about feds finding anything on your discs that could be construed as criminal evidence. (you're gonna delete that mp3 library when you get home, aren't you?) Fine, you honestly feel comfortable about you personal and secure information being duplicated and stored by any number of federal agencies with little or no oversight? You don't worry about the possibility of impropriety or all too common digital security or confidentiality breach? Can I introduce you to my government?
Policies like this should make the entire population cringe and hold their breath, hoping they don't get their own rights caught up in the mix of ensuring "freedom" in general.
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