Australia Can Search Laptops, Phones for Porn

[exfileme]

Make sure you dispose of anything baring flesh on your mobile phones and laptop drives before heading to Australia.

Australia Can Search Laptops, Phones for Porn : Read more

 

[darkknight22]

I think this is just a ploy for customs to pick up some free pr0n.

 

[polly the parrot]

Like the Best Buy Geek Squad employee a while back?

 

[pharge]

It is just tough to deal all the different laws when you are doing international traveling.

One of my friend had his check-in bags searched and something were removed by our (US) customs while he was flying from Asia to Canada. Why his bags were searched? He was doing his transfer at the LAX (the bag was with the airline all the time during the transfer).

Similar story... people can be charged as drug trafficing in Thailand if somebody have a bag or bottole of poppy seeds... which may mean DEATH penality in Tailand...


Bring pron into middle-eastern countries can lead to a big problem too.

 

[bv90andy]

why is home-made for personal use nude pictures/video categorised as porn? And if I have 20 Giga of photos (which I do, and most ppl have way more than that), are they going to look at each photo to see if I have pornographic images? That's going to take a few days + invasion of privacy.

 

[proxy711]

[citation][nom]bv90andy[/nom] ...if I have 20 Giga of photos (which I do, and most ppl have way more than that)...[/citation]
No normal person will have 20gigs of photos on their laptop.

 

[Clintonio]

I encrypt my home-made videos when I visit the middle east. I'm so dangerously at risk, since one of the participants of said videos is one of their own nationals.

Uh oh D:

 

[chickenhoagie]

What a ridiculous law. Australians just brought themselves into the war of the worlds. No longer shall they remain a peaceful country

 

[NapoleonDK]

[citation][nom]proxy711[/nom]No normal person will have 20gigs of photos on their laptop.[/citation]1. He didn't say laptop. (although you probably wouldn't put your desktop through customs...)
2. I'm eldest of 4 children in my family. I manage all our computers and I have 22.7GB of family photos on my NAS.

 

[gekko668]

Encryption is the best way to go. While you're at it encrypt your files all the way to your torrent connection.

 

[Marco925]

when you travel, Set your computer as a server, if you need anything, access it.

FTP Rocks

 

[croc]

...And the US TSA is any less draconian? As an Aussie, I am of two minds on this particular ruling. First, it will just irritate visitors more than the existing regs already do, and many will find it an 'invasion of privacy'. (its not, but that will be the perception) But second, do we Aussies need foreign visitors dragging in more porn into our country? It is a simple question on the arrival card, similar to the ones asking about foodstuffs, drugs, money, etc. Answer any of these wrong and face fines or possible jail time.

 

[sleepmode53]

[citation][nom]croc[/nom]...And the US TSA is any less draconian? As an Aussie, I am of two minds on this particular ruling. First, it will just irritate visitors more than the existing regs already do, and many will find it an 'invasion of privacy'. (its not, but that will be the perception) But second, do we Aussies need foreign visitors dragging in more porn into our country? It is a simple question on the arrival card, similar to the ones asking about foodstuffs, drugs, money, etc. Answer any of these wrong and face fines or possible jail time.[/citation]

Most people don't bring porn into countries for anyone but themselves... it is a digital file on a computer, not a drug to get Australians hooked on, or do something that could cause disease or anything else malicious. It's something that is out of sight and out of mind.

Also in Australia it may be perfectly legal for the government to look at YOUR files that are personal. In the US, this is horridly invading to Americans. It depends. I guess it's ok for you... but I'm not going anywhere that I can't be left alone.

 

[TheKurrgan]

Well, the Aussies can do what they want with what comes into their country. Bottom line: They have that right IMO. This does however step WAY across my own personal line of tolerance, and therefore have removed this country from my list of visitation possibilities.
Shame the place looked good. Oh well.

 

[Gin Fushicho]

I hate anyone that violates my privacy.

 

[sleepmode53]

[citation][nom]thekurrgan[/nom](I) have removed this country from my list of visitation possibilities. Shame the place looked good. Oh well.[/citation]

It really did look nice. I second that heartily.

 

[eddieroolz]

Amazing. Australia is quickly turning into a restrictive nation not unlike the communist/fascist nations in the 30's.

They first ban a perfectly normal human feature (small breasts), then censor the internet, and then finally now, the Spanish Inquisition happening at every airport.

My incentive to visit Australia fades more day by day.

 

[croc]

[citation][nom]sleepmode53[/nom]Most people don't bring porn into countries for anyone but themselves... it is a digital file on a computer, not a drug to get Australians hooked on, or do something that could cause disease or anything else malicious. It's something that is out of sight and out of mind. Also in Australia it may be perfectly legal for the government to look at YOUR files that are personal. In the US, this is horridly invading to Americans. It depends. I guess it's ok for you... but I'm not going anywhere that I can't be left alone.[/citation]

OK, your TSA claimed that I was hiding 'something' on a laptop, and please give them the password. There WAS no password. They then confiscated my laptop, never to be seen again. So, screw your 'right to privacy', mate... and with that attitude, we don't need you visiting anyway.

 

[Dandalf]

lol @ Tom's Hardware crowd already finding like 12 ways around this

Just another genius law that will piss off normal people while not achieving its goals because experts like us can immediately circumvent it

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I know that censorship exists in a variety of forms in many countries. What puzles me is the emphasis on porn rather than safety and security.