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Strategies for international travellers regarding new US Customs seizure policy

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kartal:
Some people love to defend these kinds of verdicts which is fine. But can you imagine if every country in the world actually passes such verdicts? This would be a devastating situation for those of us who would travel to more than one country a year. Every airport means possibility of illegal uncalled confiscation of personal belongings.

I also read that supposedly once you are cleared they erase the data. How are we supposed to know that the data is erased %100 anyways?

TomColvin:
Among the comments at LIFEHACKER, there are several posts that indicate that Customs has the authority to copy one's data and to pass it on to other agencies that might have an interest.  Personally, I cannot verify if that is true.

I travel a lot and personally have never had trouble with customs.  However, it is happening.  This year two American and one European friend have confronted data inspections.  They were shocked, as they have each worked for international governmental or non-profit organizations.  The European vows never to return to the US.

Sadly, I think all of us simply have to think through our own strategy.  My own strategy, I suspect, will be to carry some device that will get me online as I travel, and that device will contain no data whatsoever.  I'm not so much worried about seizure of data as I am about interruption of my work if I lose my computer.  Of course, this threat is probably even greater from thieves.  I gather this is the design behind the Lenovo SafeBook.

Shades:
I'm sorry to say but from here it looks like all the ingredients for the U.S. to become a police state are theoretically in place...and it starts to be practice as well  :o

For most Europeans the U.S. already lost it's charm as a traveling destiny (vacation).

TomColvin:
I've just posted to my blog an introduction to a series of posts that deals with protection and management of one's electronic devices and data.  Sadly, I think it's an urgent series [as I wistfully recall my childhood days when our family never locked the front door].

Let's face it.  The world has unalterably changed.

kartal:
I think that best is to not to carry anything. From now on I wont have any electronics on me except my mp3 player which wont have any data. Also this may discourage consumers from buying travel electronics as well, bad for business.

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