laptop confiscated or searched at US customs
- Thread starter Miss Maya Blue
- Start date
I always though that our personal computers are a good refection of who we really are.. it's like peeking into someones mind! and when entering a country, be it Canada or the USA, they have all the right in the world to search you up and down, inside and out! Don't be stupid.. if you have anything that could lead them to think you're doing something wrong... man they will rip you apart trying to find it. I've been searched loads on times... in Canada, USA, Thailand, Australia ... being that I've been to Thailand so many times they think I'm a drug runner... man the Australians always did and searched me 6 of the 12 times I entered the land of down under. They never checked my computer since it was always drugs they were looking for, but I never had anything on my computer.. I'd always install a new hard drive in the laptop.. then a fresh windows install.. now with SSD drives it's a snap to wipe the thing back to a clean state.
I had a friend from the US coming up to visit Toronto... Canada customs nabbed him at the airport and looked his computer over. They found some Japanese sex cartoons, that he said had been on his computer such a long time he'd forgotten they were even there. They let him go but took his computer and sent it to Ottawa to be analyzed! He got his computer back a few months later with a letter saying that they had deleted 3 cartoons they felt were not allowed under the criminal code... and that was it however he was scared shit-less by the whole ordeal
I had a friend from the US coming up to visit Toronto... Canada customs nabbed him at the airport and looked his computer over. They found some Japanese sex cartoons, that he said had been on his computer such a long time he'd forgotten they were even there. They let him go but took his computer and sent it to Ottawa to be analyzed! He got his computer back a few months later with a letter saying that they had deleted 3 cartoons they felt were not allowed under the criminal code... and that was it however he was scared shit-less by the whole ordeal
I can see that. Picking a minor border crossing over a major run would run questions in my mind.
I found last time I went state side, the US guy didn't seem to question my going to Hamilton via highway 37 and IIRC 12. I suspect they are so used to people in Cornhole going across the border for gas at the reserve.
Granted I don't have a high sample size. Only 2. The other time I took a little road trip down the NY side and back up the 401. What can I say, I like to drive.
That's pretty crazy considering my exes family has a lengthly criminal history and we never had any problems at any borders. I also don't remember ever declaring that I had any electronics (cell phone, laptop) with me when I last travelled abroad.
The way it was explained to me:
The Canadian Customs system gives them all kinds of "standard information". It does not automatically check CPIC for wants and warrants or history. If the agent gets curious he can query CPIC. That slows down the lines and they tend to only do it if something makes them suspicious.
Once they do it if they see anything suspicious they flag it on your Canadian Customs data and every time after that the gents know about it. Sine I travel with a UK passport they know less about me than about Canadians.
I think most countries are the same.
Depending on the country we are entering there can be a huge advantage to LL or I presenting our passport first.
Most of the time when I return to Canada I land at either Trudeau or Ottawa. In both of these airports there is only one maze for returning Canadian citizens. So you have little to no control over who the next available agent is.
I am guessing there is some random choice involved, it also probably looks at your travel history. The machine asks you questions similar to that which are on the landing card, prints a receipt that you give to a customs agent to exit the area. That agent likely decides if you are going for a secondary interview.
The UK has been using this system for a couple of years now with its returning citizens.
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Isn't this how they found that pedophile Catholic priest a few years ago in Halifax? I think they checked his laptop at the airport...
Timbit
Smart lady here folks . It's not worth it . If you want to tour then go out West . Lots of money out there .
Bring your laptop or what ever . No hassles .
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that he was coming back home and the Canadian Border Guards are the one's that checked his laptop .
Yes, he was stopped on his way back into Canada. But it's naive to think this was a random stop and search. Rather, as I alluded in my previous post, the good Bishop's profile was steadily developed over a period of time and they had developed enough intelligence to pick him off when they did. He was set up, big time...
What I would do is simply setup remote desktop on your home computer and use your laptop to access the home computers desktop when abroad. Basically all it's doing is your laptop is acting as a terminal, when it connects to the home computer... all your getting is a "Keyboard, Mouse, and Video" connections ... everything you're doing is still kept of the home computer.. nothing on the remote laptop. You're basically still using your home computer... which is nice because you will have access to all you files too. As for customs if they check you laptop they will find nothing.. and the remote desktop program is already built into windows so that will not look like anything unusual to them... since everyone already has it on their computers.
Keeping your home computer running all the time while away might not be what you'd like to do... also if your home computers IP changes that could leave you unable to connect. There are way around this like using a DynamicDNS service. But for most that want a reliable and secure remote computer to use ... what you can then do is lease a windows server... I have a windows 2003 and a new 2008 server in a data-center in Toronto that i use. It also provides VPN services too.
FWIW a best practices guide by the EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation)
https://www.eff.org/wp/defending-privacy-us-border-guide-travelers-carrying-digital-devices
https://www.eff.org/wp/defending-privacy-us-border-guide-travelers-carrying-digital-devices
That's exactly why a lot of encrypted computer systems have what's called "plausible deniability". Two passwords, one opens up (unencrypt) a dummy system (be sure to put some mildly interesting spreadsheets there at least for them to look at) and the real password opens the real system you use all the time - done so cleverly the existence of real encrypted system is actually impossible to prove even with the most sophisticated forensic examination. I won't name names as I don't want to help the kiddie porn perverts but you can PM me for details if in doubt. It is a matter of concern for me as I have to t**********se the US shortly. While I have no interest in any type of porn, I do object to them having the right to read my emails as there is often proprietary information therein. Pre 9/11 there is no question such an invasion of privacy would be considered an illegal search.
Best Crypt does this... they call it a "Ghost System" They design this stuff for secret agents that must pass undetected into foreign lands. Not only that Best Crypt is located in Finland and is not required to have any backdoor keys, like encryption products sold in the USA, under NSA rules.
http://www.jetico.com/encryption-bestcrypt/
TrueCrypt does it very well, is free, and has been scrutinized by some top cryptographers.
But the best solution is to have a separate laptop for travel that has nothing on it.
It's not like they are expensive these days. I have a laptop that is wife, work , and border safe.
When I use it I put it in incognito mode, and I periodically wipe the encrypted main drive and fresh install. That way it does not have links to my facebook, webmail, browsing history, or any personal files.
But the best solution is to have a separate laptop for travel that has nothing on it.
It's not like they are expensive these days. I have a laptop that is wife, work , and border safe.
When I use it I put it in incognito mode, and I periodically wipe the encrypted main drive and fresh install. That way it does not have links to my facebook, webmail, browsing history, or any personal files.
Not so sure about that and surely the GOV, FBI, etc., know of these programs.
Hidden encrypted files would still easily be detected with simple arithmetic by running a 'check-sum test' which accounts for every single byte on any HDD.
They look at your latop, it has a HDD of known GB volume and a 'check-sum test' reveals how many bytes there are say, xxxxx. If the 'check-sum test' doesn't match xxxxx exactly they know some files are being hidden, which will even raise more red flags! It's simple arithmetic really. They now know exactly how much space in bytes, these hidden files are taking which will make them even more interested in seeing what they are.
Laptops are cheap. Best to have a second clean laptop for travel if you have files you would rather not have the Gov see.....
Truecrypt does solve the problem of finding the hidden files by filing the partition with encrypted junk.
My problem is you have to lie to the border guy, which in itself is a big deal if you get caught.
The second laptop enables complete honesty. You can even tell them that it is your second laptop without personal data!
My problem is you have to lie to the border guy, which in itself is a big deal if you get caught.
The second laptop enables complete honesty. You can even tell them that it is your second laptop without personal data!
Yes I have to agree it's a bad idea to lie in anyway to these guys... trust me they know when you're telling a lie as they've been trained extensively as in what to look for, the body language... you look up and to the left... or is it the right... when you lie... because you're using the side of the brain that holds the creative mind.
I get nervous enough dealing with these guys and I'm not even doing anything wrong... but it's a wonderful feeling knowing I took the precautions with my computer and they will not find anything on it. I sure wouldn't want them to find photos of my Thai vacation like this one....
It would just make them go ape shit ... and these guys, I tell you they get jealous at you, when they hear you just came from a vacation in a far off exotic land. This happened to me at LAX ... the Immigration dude, big bald guy, looked like he hated his job, he asks me "So what did you do in Thailand?" I say "I had a vacation" he says "Oh really!" he looks at me with big bulging eyes and hands me my passport and I walk away... then at the check-point I'm taken into the search room... ggeeezzz... I wonder why? seems the big nasty guy marked my card to search me.
