NZ Traveler's Electronics Taken At Airport; Interest in Snowden to Blame? 453
An anonymous reader writes "A New Zealand backpacker stripped of all electrical equipment at Auckland airport suggests attending a London talk on cyber-security following the Edward Snowden leaks may be to blame. Samuel Blackman was returning home for Christmas on 11 December from London Heathrow to Auckland via San Francisco when a customs officer at his final destination took the law graduate's two smartphones, iPad, external hard drive and laptop, demanding the passwords for all devices." For a quieter version, see also The New Zealand Herald.
Highway Robbery (Score:4, Insightful)
It is baffling how easily civilization reverts to medieval behaviors.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Seeing how this happened in New Zealand, probably thousands of miles across the sea?
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:4, Insightful)
One's reach does not end at one's finger tips.
Re: (Score:2)
Is it Obamaruman or Obamauron?
Re: (Score:3)
You're thinking about Martha Stewart. It's not related, and I don't know why you are, but you ARE thinking about Martha Stewart.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:5, Interesting)
It's weird to me how Obama does all sorts of terrible things(most of which aren't new, but that's no excuse), but his primary antagonists seem to always be presenting the most discredited or irrelevant nonsense as defining evidence of his totalitarianism.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:5, Insightful)
This, this, a thousand times this! Why the fuck do the the talk radio assholes blather on ad nauseum excoriating Obama for Obamacare when they could be calling him a totalitarian traitor to the Constitution instead?
(The answer, of course, is that the Republicans (and Democrats) are perfectly okay with totalitarianism.)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
This, this, a thousand times this! Why the fuck do the the talk radio assholes blather on ad nauseum excoriating Obama for Obamacare when they could be calling him a totalitarian traitor to the Constitution instead?
Plenty of them do, you're just not listening to the right ones. Boortz, and Rush do, so do several other smaller hosts that are on a smaller number of stations(under 20). Oh and the tea party does, but obviously they're racists for doing so(because that's what the flappy headed fools in the media say).
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:4, Insightful)
Boortz is allegedly retired (although for a retired guy, he still gets a lot of airtime). Rush is on while I'm at work, so I couldn't listen to him if I wanted.
I've heard Eric Ericson complain about it (for about 5 minutes, and then he spent the rest of the show on Obamacare). I've heard Sean Hannity mention it merely as part of a list of Obama's lies (which also included Bengazi etc.). As far as I know, Herman Cain hasn't mentioned it at all.
At any rate, there is absolutely zero chance of any of them giving NSA spying the attention it deserves (which means "completely drowning out any Obamacare issues," among other things). The only possible explanation for their criminal levels of omission is that they're all totalitarian asshats too.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:5, Insightful)
Indeed, let's.
One is blatant unconstitutional totalitarianism, and proof of acts of outright treason by scores of public servants (including the Commander-in-Chief!).
The other is additional regulation that makes an already-fucked-up-by-regulation industry a little more fucked up, a tax increase, and an incompetent IT project deployment (whoop-de-fucking-do).
It is blatantly obvious which issue every patriotic American (or indeed, every less-than-treasonous-himself American -- there is no 'no true Scotsman' fallacy happening here) should be more concerned about!
I think the extent of their dereliction of their journalistic duty is so huge as to be figuratively criminal.
Re: (Score:3)
Not even that. I mean that the NSA, with its Unconstitutional Orwellian agenda, is itself now an enemy of the United States, and that Obama has given the NSA aid and comfort by failing to disband and prosecute its leaders.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:5, Insightful)
Did you just mention "Rush" that senile, racist, sexist?
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, you know.
Your opinion is completely irrelevant go back to your confederate flag draped tent...
You know the difference between you and whoever you're attacking? All they did was mention the name of someone who, occasionally, gets one right; All you've done is attack them and imply that they're racists because they mentioned the name of someone you've obviously decided to form a personal vendetta against.
So, who's the irrelevant one here? Not the guy talking about Rush - at least he managed to stay on topic.
Re: (Score:3)
Politics 101: outside of propaganda, there is no left and there is no right. There are only tyrants, wannabe tyrants and useful idiots who think those wannabe tyrants stand for anything besides becoming the new tyrants.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:5, Insightful)
(The answer, of course, is that the Republicans (and Democrats) are perfectly okay with totalitarianism.)
Actually this is the "this".
The Snowden saga and politicians' and media response to it prove that there aren't 2 teams in politics. Dems and Republicans are part of the same corporation that pays them handsomely with the public's money.
It's like any professional sport organization (NFL, etc). Sure the teams are competitive to a point, but at the end of they game most of them don't give a rip and are chuckling and hugging each other, meeting for drinks and dinner afterwards.... Because they all get paid millions of the public's money, regardless who "wins" a single game. Only the public cares about that single game.
Same with American politics...The debates about healthcare, abortion. The elections. The political news shows. It is all just to see which team is best funded by the special interests. The special interests have big plans for the public's money and/or social behavior. In this system the politicians are always paid, at the public's expense.
It is no wonder why no politician or politically bent media organization will tip this system. It is their cash cow. We Americans need to wake up.
Re: (Score:3)
No that is just a dog and pony show just like abortion and gay marriage. They take a topic that most people are either very strongly for or against but has no real barren on whats really going on in the country. Then they "fight" tooth and nail over it making a big scene, making sure that the topic is on every 24 hour news station while quietly doing things like passing the National Defense Act or just avoiding news on things like how bad we are getting fucked by the NSA. Think of it like a magic trick.
Re:Highway Robbery (Score:4, Insightful)
Double secret probation (Score:5, Insightful)
We'll take your stuff, which you possibly use for your business or work, and won't tell you why, or for how long.
There need to be laws and yes, intelligence agencies, but barring a crime, this ends up being bad PR.
The Whole Issue (Score:5, Insightful)
The whole issue is contained in the US Constitution where it says,
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." - Amendment 4.
This needs to be a universal human rights declaration world wide and it needs to be a condition where no government is tolerated forcing people to give up their computers or their passwords. In the mean time anyone taking a computer on international travel is an idiot! We also need that every computer has a kill password where it is reset to factory default condition and the disk is wiped with a single password. You just give the government demanding your password the kill password and the game is over for them. Every OS should contain this in the future.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The whole issue is contained in the US Constitution where it says,
Note to all retards who skimmed the summary and didn't read the article:
This happened in New Zealand, not in the United States. The U.S. Constitution has absolutely fucking nothing to do with this because it didn't happen in the United States.
Re: (Score:3)
The U.S. Constitution has absolutely fucking nothing to do with this because it didn't happen in the United States.
Are you suggesting it would if he had been in the USA? [aclu.org]
Re: (Score:2)
"The right of the people to be secure ..." has no meaning to courts in the United States. We passed that metric some time ago.
Re:The Whole Issue (Score:5, Funny)
Standard forensic procedure is to keep everything in the condition it was in as far as possible. This includes removing drives and imaging them and working on images, and if your home is raided, and they anticipate you might be set up to destroy data on shutdown/loss of power, even going so far as to bring a generator along.
Fortunately, my home computer self-destructs based on its GPS location. Loss of signal or moving it more than 5 meters away from the house sets off the thermite.
Re: (Score:3)
Then you're up for felony charges on laws against boobytraps which fail to distinguish between lawful and unlawful intruders.
I have a big button on the front that says "Press this if you're a lawful intruder". It still sets off the thermite, but at least they have no one to blame but themselves, what else did they think the button would do!?
Besides, I've carefully packed the thermite around the hard drives, so no one will get hurt. Much.
Re:The Whole Issue (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Then you're up for felony charges on laws against boobytraps which fail to distinguish between lawful and unlawful intruders.
I have a big button on the front that says "Press this if you're a lawful intruder". It still sets off the thermite, but at least they have no one to blame but themselves, what else did they think the button would do!?
Yep. That totally solves everything. You are really fucking stupid. What sort of actual useful contribution do you have to make?
While I was being obviously facetious, if my data is incriminating enough to make melting down my computer worth protecting the data from prying eyes, then why doesn't thermite solve the problem? Many people are willing to die for their cause, so risking a felony charge to keep secret data out of the hands of the "enemy" is not unreasonable - and maybe a lesser charge than the evidence would have proven.
The thermite charge needn't injure anyone, your goal isn't to make a spectacular explosion, you just want
Re: (Score:2)
Blackman said of course he didn't have anything like that. But if he had any porn at all, it's perfectly possible he did have "objectionable material". That's why I keep all my porn in a Truecrypt container. Even if I'm obliged to hand over my password to my device, they can't find anything objectionable (they can, I've got shit loads of p
Re:Double secret probation (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe you want to be able to look at your porn when you don't have Internet access? Perhaps it's down because some idiot with a backhoe or a large anchor cut your line? Besides, if you look at porn on the web, you'll be downloading, and storing, copies on to your computer. Web browsers cache stuff all the time.
Re:Double secret probation (Score:4, Funny)
In those cases we all just rely on our porn memories.
Re: (Score:3)
Translation: 'We were told to get this person out, so we thought we'd search his computer. With any luck we'll find something on there violating one law or another. There are so may of them, after all.'
Re: (Score:3)
Translation: 'We were told to get this person out, so we thought we'd search his computer. With any luck we'll find something on there violating one law or another. There are so may of them, after all.'
You missed the part about his Girlfriend being Imogen Grispe, a well known journalist in NZ. See her site http://imogencrispe.com/ [imogencrispe.com] where she says:
have reported on a wide range of topics including health, politics, science, technology, arts and travel. I specialised in ethics in my philosophy degree, and won a scholarship to study journalism at post-graduate level. ... I am a global citizen.
Lots of scary buzzwords in there if you are a government intelligence officer (of any country).
Transporting Snowden material via friends of reporters is something the spook community seems really worried about.
I Viviidly Remember... (Score:5, Insightful)
taking the piss out of the Soviet Union, the Iron Curtain satellites nations and their citizens for the entire "Papers, please!" nonsense that occured whilst I was growing up in the 70s-80s. Is this crow I taste?
Re:I Viviidly Remember... (Score:5, Interesting)
Our lords have found a new enemy, and it's us.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes. Yes it is. It is crow. It's capitalist crow. Now pay for that taste or I shall summon the authorities!
Figures (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Figures (Score:5, Informative)
Here in the UK, refusal to give a password to the police upon request is itsself a crime.
Re:Figures (Score:5, Insightful)
Not many countries are worth traveling to these days but the UK and the US are probably on my bottom 10 list for reasons like this.
Re: (Score:2)
At least in some countries, it isn't that you have to give the password, it's that you have to give the password if it's for an investigation. So the police can't just say "hand it over", they have to say "hand it over, because we are investigation this that and the other". Not that I want to defend that sort of shit of course.
I just had a look at part III of RIPA, http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/23/contents [legislation.gov.uk] and can't understand it. But it does look like it's not necessary to have any actual good r
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yet.
Re: (Score:3)
I still put it as unsettled/undecided.
She ended up never disclosing the password. She was never even held in contempt for not disclosing the password. They ended up receiving a list of possible passwords from someone else, one of which worked. This resolved this particular instance so further appeals were not needed for this case.
Her appeal to the federal appeals court was denied as she had not yet been convicted or acquitted. The appeals court didn't have jurisdiction at the point of the attempted appeal.
Re: (Score:2)
Pfft. Since when did you have to commit a crime in the US for the authorities to confiscate / destroy your stuff, detain you, assault you, disappear you, torture you, put you in solitary, ship you off to Syria or execute you via drone from 5000 miles away?
Re: (Score:3)
At this point, I consider all Android or iOS (but especially Android) devices untrusted. The only way to trust an Android device would be to use one where the main processor is not subordinate to the modem processor and where you have loaded something like Replicant on it your
Re:Figures (Score:5, Informative)
See http://www.androidauthority.com/smartphones-have-a-second-os-317800/ [androidauthority.com]
Cellphones have two processors, a main processor (running an open-source OS in the case of Android) and a baseband processor built into the modem chip (running a closed-source OS in all cases). The baseband processor can be used to hack the phone. For a phone to be truly secure, you need a firewall between the main memory and the baseband processor, and AFAIK no phone is designed that way (except this one [cryptophone.de]).
Re:Figures (Score:5, Insightful)
What you're missing is that people said the same thing regarding security concerns about all sorts of other things (SSL, TOR, deliberately-weakened key-generation algorithms, etc), but the Snowden leaks proved those concerns justified. Not all of the information Snowden found has been made public yet, so there's still opportunity for this concern to be proven justified too.
At this point, the only safe thing to do is to assume that if an attack is theoretically possible, then the NSA is exploiting it.
Re:Figures (Score:5, Informative)
In a phone, the GSM modem has its own CPU (and its own memory).
Most phones are based on SoCs (Systems on a Chip); everything's interconnected on the same silicon. Usually the GSM modem processor has access to the memory and I/O busses of the main processor (but not the other way around), can reset the main processor, and often boots before the main processor and must explicitly turn on the main processor before it runs. I believe that in some designs the modem processor actually sets up the boot loader for the main processor as well. The modem processor can definitely rewrite the flash where the main processor's operating system is stored.
The result of this is that the modem has total control of the phone. It can do anything it wants to any data on the phone, including the internals of the main OS, and there's basically nothing the main processor can do about it other than maybe be too obscure and complicated to manipulate easily.
The firmware in the modem is invariably closed source and secret. The modem will only boot firmware that's crypto-signed by the manufacturer, and anyway the hardware is totally undocumented.
The modems have "over the air" command sets that let the carrier manipulate the phone remotely without going through the main OS. Those command sets can be very rich... and can include the ability to reflash the main OS, or even to peek and poke its memory while it's running.
So on most (all?) phones, it basically doesn't matter what your OS is. The carrier (possibly together with the SoC manufacturer) can do whatever it wants if it's willing to figure out the complexity of doing so. And of course governments lean on carriers and SoC manufacturers to get access to that capability, and commercial "partners" also have influence.
Re: (Score:3)
The in-development Neo900 phone is being built specifically to ensure the modem has no access to the main processor.
The modem will NOT be able to read anything from/write anything to the RAM or ROM attached to the TI OMAP main CPU. It will NOT be able to access peripherals connected to the main CPU (including the screen, speakers, microphone and cameras).
On the GTA04 (the device that the Neo900 is based on) all communication between the main CPU and the modem module happens via an internal USB port (with th
Re:Figures (Score:5, Funny)
...my girlfriend...
Hah! You NSA boys have a got to learn about blending in on teh internets.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
It would probably be a good idea to take installation media along with you, and make sure to hash it before you go, then keep the hash on your person. If my machine got grabbed for "inspection", I wouldn't trust the OS on it as far as I could throw it.
Ok, so... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Ok, so... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Ok, so... (Score:5, Insightful)
Granted, after you do this, you're in for the full treatment, but that's a judgement call you need to make.
This is the mentality that these type of cops love, and wish everyone would develop. If you feel that by simply verifying that you're not about to get raped by someone who is acting outside the law, you are then "out of line" and deserve some form of "the full treatment" (whatever the hell that is) then you are the reason that things have lapsed into the state as they have. Allowing someone to push you around in ways that are illegal, simply because they represent the legal authority, is placating and nourishing the wrong mentality. What good do you expect to come from that? I'll tell you what. Eventually every woman and child will be anally probed by such "authorities" because they'll see you as weak and possibly doing wrong. Stand the fuck up for yourself when you're in the right. It's what the actual universal authorities demand! It's how things naturally balance themselves out.
The leaks are to blame!? (Score:5, Insightful)
know your rights (Score:2)
How about for a UK citizen getting back into he UK.
Think I'll stay at home.
Re:know your rights (Score:5, Informative)
It would appear that they can take any and all of your electronic devices and storage equipment [customs.gov.au] - including laptops, smartphones, usb keys - and they don't have to explain why or state what "reasonable suspicion" they have that you might have something illegal. On the whim of the customs officer, they can keep it for 14 days, or longer if they feel they have cause to.
At most all you can do is lodge a complaint...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
You won't go to NZ because of trivial annoyances like that?
I for one feel that being stripped of all electric equipment without being told why or when I'll get it back is far from trivial.
There is no other country on earth that'll let you pass this sort of thing.
Apparently this guy went through at least 2 other countries without being bullied. One of them was America!
Sigh (Score:2)
I try to take an almost ridiculously reasonable and neutral stance on most things. For example, I'd like to believe that, actually, this guy might be reasonably suspected of being a "cyber-terrorist" by the powers-that-be and the fact that he attended a cyber-security lecture is correlated to, but not direct causation for, his being stopped.
I'd like to believe that...
Re:Sigh (Score:4, Insightful)
In this world you cannot be both ridiculously reasonable and neutral on most things.
Alright, New Zealand is on the list, too (Score:2, Insightful)
The list of countries you shouldn't travel to if you don't want to be detained and would like to keep your stuff: US, England, New Zealand.
Re: (Score:3)
We're fucked and it's basically our own fault. People will give up almost anything and put up with almost anything, that doesn't cause too much visible inconvenience to their
Go ahead, take my stuff (Score:2)
My personal laptop is setup to wipe itself if you fail to give the correct credentials enough times. "No" you may not have my password, or better yet, "Password99" Try using that one a few times ;-)
Of course there are things like Google Docs, so there isn't anything on the machine itself. I can stop at a store on the way home from the airport, pick up a cheap replacement and be back in business in the time it takes to logon to a hotspot.
And I don't have anything to hide. This whole process was setup when I
Re:Go ahead, take my stuff (Score:5, Interesting)
Google Docs. Lol. You may as well just print your shit off and hand it to the authorities directly. In fact, print it off, and fax it to the national police forces of all the major anglophone countries (including NZ). Because if they want it, they'll get it from Google anyway.
Re: (Score:3)
the article said the guy was a lawyer or pre-law or graduate, at least.
if they mess with him, you think your 'lawyer friend' is really going to have any say in the matter?
this kind of thing convinces me more than ever that if I need anything with data on it (beyond music players) I'll have it shipped to my destination and back.
Detained in AKL but not SFO? (Score:5, Insightful)
The biggest surprise here is this happened in AKL instead of SFO. There is no transit freedom in the united states. If you're connecting you need to clear US customs and immigration and then re-check into your connecting flight. So if this was really a US demanded search one would think the phones and electronics would have been taken in SFO.
Re:Detained in AKL but not SFO? (Score:4, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
To conflate the acts of 9/11 with "reasonable demands" is pur and utter bullshit.
Pretty sure OP isn't doing that; rather, he's pointing out how the government conflates reasonable demands with the acts of 9/11; in other words, not only is terrorism considered terrorism, but apparently so is protesting, or looking funny, or anything else the feds decide to arbitrarily label as suspicious.
He's 100% right about that, too.
confiscation? wtf? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
making copies can take time. drives are pretty large today and it can take a while to zip up your media. it also requires some skill and these monkeys simply don't have it; that's the job of some other back-room set of monkeys.
the main goal is to scare and punish. and let everyone know that they can do this to anyone at any time and without any reason.
tl;dr; its all for continuing the chilling effect, to keep people in fear OF the government.
Re: (Score:2)
In this case, the "reason" was because they suspected the fella of importing "objectionable" material. So making a copy and then giving the device back wouldn't serve the purpose of taking the device. That is, stopping "objectionable" material from entering the country.
Cheers.
Chromebook For This Situation (Score:2)
Would a chromebook make a good travel laptop for this sort of situation? Let's say you have two Google accounts, one with a bland public persona and one with any sensitive information you care to work with. Delete your sensitive account from the machine before you transit through customs and add it back when you get to a safe(ish) network. Keep all your data in the cloud.
I wonder what Chrome OS does with local files of deleted users?
Re: (Score:2)
Well, then you're trusting Google not to hand your data over to any random government official in whatever countries you travel to or through. Not to mention, is your connection between the Chromebook and Google encrypted? Is it worthwhile encryption or something as easy to crack as WEP?
Even though it's now over 14 years ago, I deliberately chose not to travel with a laptop to the UK. IMO, the best bet if you need a computer is to get a cheap netbook or refurbished laptop, and install your OS of choice onto
I had a computer confiscated (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The lesson in this (Score:5, Insightful)
The lesson in this is NEVER carry sensitive information on you when entering an international airport.
That's not the lesson at all. This guy probably didn't have any sensitive information but that didn't stop his devices getting nicked.
The only people with lessons to learn are not the travellers but the security services unreasonably targetting them. Unfortunately, they're not interested in lessons.
Re: (Score:2)
Encrypting everything might make it harder to plant something on the laptop in a convincing manner, but it might increase the odds of your stuff being stolen by them.
Re:The lesson in this (Score:5, Insightful)
The lesson everyone is supposed to get is "Be afraid". It's not yet "Be very afraid", but just wait and we'll get there. So this guy was in a meeting where the Guardian editor Rusbridger was present. Perhaps that fact was what the intelligence services used to tag this guy as suspicious? If so this is sending a signal that you shouldn't be too (physically or intellectually) close to people like Rusbridger. This is a classic case of a "chilling effect" in action. If this isn't what the security services want, then they are stupidly incompetent. If it's what they want they are dangerously oppressive.
There doesn't seem to be any pleasant solution to this equation.
Re: (Score:2)
The lesson is dont go through customs with electronics.
If you must, use disposable electronics you dont care about losing.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed. USB stick with "insert favorite linux version" installed, and just enough things to allow you to SSH home and access whatever you need (VNC for the GUI stuff). Make sure the USB stick is read-only, no personal stuff whatsoever stored on it, and memorise the SSH key.
FTFY
Re: (Score:3)
"I cannot give out that information as it would pose a risk to national security."
Hey, it works for them, right?
Re: (Score:2)
is NEVER carry sensitive information on you when entering an international airport. Use a clean computer/ personal devices when traveling and access all sensitive data in encrypted form from remote servers.
That's only of you've got data to hide.
Apparently they can steal your gadgets even without that.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They can't know it's evidence.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I quickly turned off that feature when I found my 4 year old playing with my phone. She was 2 attempts away from wiping it!
Re:First (Score:5, Insightful)
Looks like Saruman is now running The Shire.
Re: (Score:2)
(and our pm was born in the US)...
You mean your unidentified guest?
Re: (Score:2)
The only possible conclusion is that it is the jack booted actions of an oppressive government retaliating for attending some Snowden related event?
Patternicity [scientificamerican.com].
Re:I'm sure there is more to this story (Score:5, Funny)
You post is interesting but lacks whitespace. I will not be subscribing to your newsletter.
Re:I'm sure there is more to this story (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
he transited through San Francisco and apparently US Customs had no interest in him. If US Customs felt that he was a source of useful information about Snowden, they'd have confiscated his electronics there. I'm pretty sure that New Zealand customs does not randomly target backpackers for confiscation of electronics and this is not an example of a police state gone mad. I'm sure he knows the real reason they took his stuff and he doesn't want to mention it because he wants to play the "I'm being singled out for nothing!" angle to the press right now.
The international terminal of the airport is not considered to be part of the US. Until you try to leave the terminal area, you do not need to pass through customs. If all he did was change flights, he likely did not go through US customs at all. It is possible that they became interested in him at US Customs though and asked the NZ customs officials to detain him.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
This is not correct. The international terminal is most certainly considered part of the US. You land, your checked bags gets re-screend, and you pass through customs.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
I have a friend who is a former US customs agent who worked at a major international airport. We used to meet up every weekend and he would tell me all sorts of funny stories about working in customs.
They normally target people travelling back from countries which are known for various illegal activities. An obvious example is to search people returning from Jamaica trying to smuggle marijuana. Usually it's a small amount for personal use, an ounce or so. Another thing they do is turn away late term pregnan
Re: (Score:3)
For example, he may have worked with Wikileaks, been in contact with Snowden, or have some other non-Snowden issue that caused Customs to be very interested in him.
So he exercised his rights to free speech and he gets harassed and stolen from by the government, and you're OK with this? Shame on you.
I'm pretty sure that New Zealand customs does not randomly target backpackers for confiscation of electronics and this is not an example of a police state gone mad.
Confiscating electronics is ALWAYS an example
Re:"Give us your passwords" (Score:5, Funny)
No, that's my actual password, capital G and with spaces!