Off list a colleague sent me the following:
Re:
Quoting Laurence Bebbington <[log in to unmask]>:
> Colleagues may find the attached interesting...and worrying!
>
> http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/08/20/231915/international
> -t ravellers-face-computer-searches-at-uk.htm
>'[protection of] citizens against health and safety risks from
counterfeit drugs and food, as well as to protect holders of
intellectual property
>rights in music, film and video recordings as well as software'.
>
>Why is this worrying exactly?
>
Surely the answer to this question is already in the short article
namely that "companies and individuals could have their security and
privacy breached if proposed search powers allowed border authorities to
read, copy and retain files."
I often take my laptop with me abraod for business, or even when I'm on
holiday. I also carry a USB drive. I might have other media which could
be subject to inspection.
But many of these technologies are used by people perfectly innocently
for personal purposes: I download my holiday photos to my laptop often
when I'm still on holiday (some of which have personal photos of nieces,
nephews, family etc); my laptop may have personal correspondence about
my home, my bills, my online orders for CDs or whatever on it; it may
have confidential work documents etc. None of it infringes anyone else's
copyright; some of it is private/confidential; etc etc. Other people may
have sensitive company documents (tenders; reports etc etc) on these
technologies which are nothing to do with some jobsworth at customs. Do
I really want some customs officer to be able to copy the whole contents
of my laptop, USB etc to show central computer somewhere given the
record of government departments in holding and managing personal and
other data?
Methinks this is most certainly a step too far.
Laurence
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