These cases make the headlines, but they must be casually searching electronics and getting all kinds of private data, photos, videos, etc. They unlock your phone and download everything for their amusement and to violate your rights later. The fact that they’ll fuck with a lawyer to get his client’s info says volumes about the restraint being shown.
It might still feel like everything is normal in the US, but realize that you’re living in a fascist state in its infancy. The rule of law no longer applies.
This has been the case since the Patriot Act was passed during Bush’s Presidency after 9/11.
And let’s not forget the massive civil society surveillance aparatus that Snowden revealed…
The US has been moving away from Democracy and into Authoritanism for a long time, all with full bipartisan approval.
Trump or somebody like him getting elected and taking the gloves of the whole authoritarianism aparatus that was built and supported by previous Administrations, was always going to happen.
The US has been moving away from Democracy and been Authoritarian since it’s creation, all with full bipartisan approval.
Ftfy
I’m a nobody American citizen. I’ll be traveling internationally for a short vacation soon and already decided that the only electronics I’m taking are a burner phone and a loaner laptop I’m checking out from the public library. I have nothing to hide, but the GOP administration have shown they’ll make up any excuse to invade privacy and restrict liberty.
Your public library allows you take their loaner laptops out of the country?
I was as amazed as you and went and checked my local library and indeed they do rent laptops.
it’s not rent, you get to borrow them for free.
I have nothing to hide
Yeah, you do.
You might run into an extra grumpy customs/ICE/TSA/whatever person who felt offended at your mere existence.
that’s potentially very dangerous–taking a laptop you do not know the history of or what may be hidden in metadata or unused sectors of the internal storage.
Everything is potentially dangerous. US Citizens have been deported
I suppose in that sense, getting any used laptop is always risky. You could pull the hard drive and run some kind of USB live distro.
I suppose they could try to say you had something illegal in the firmware / BIOS. Like ascii stick figure CSAM? 🤷
I hope you have a safe trip and safe return.
Remember to not volunteer any information, and keep answers to questions short and on point. If you can, make sure to tell your friends and family who are staying in the states about your expected departure and return times. Also look up one or two lawyers to have on speed dial on your burner (smart move btw!!).
