I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by psybin on Sunday January 22, 2017 @02:48AM (#13454177)

It's standard. All people who are taken aside by customs in the US are given a standard form which asks for all passwords and keys for all devices they own. This is so they can immediately use the content on them to reject you from the country. It's presented to you in such a way that you are to believe you have no option but to fill out the form. You're offered the ability to talk to your embassy, but are told that is a useless opportunity that won't get you anything of value.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by 0xffff2 on Sunday January 22, 2017 @02:51AM (#13454184)

Since no one is explicitly saltating it, this only applies to non-citizens, right? What's the process when a U.S. citizen is "taken aside"? I would categorically tell them to fuck off. Do I face jail time instrad of refused entry?

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by rosser on Sunday January 22, 2017 @03:28AM (#13454263)

US citizens can't be denied entry. They can, however, have their devices seized upon entry, and can enter the country, only to proceed directly into custody, whether CBP or someone else's.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by ubernostrum on Sunday January 22, 2017 @03:31AM (#13454272)

In general, a US citizen can be detained for some time, interrogated and searched in an unpleasant fashion, have property they carry with them seized, and be subjected to (illegal, but it happens regardless) retaliatory prosecution under nuisance-type charges for being uncooperative or for being perceived to challenge the authority of the CBP employee, but cannot be denied entry to the United States.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by angry_octet on Sunday January 22, 2017 @05:52AM (#13454636)

But you can get added to the no fly list, which is effectively the same thing, as no carrier will take you. (You have to fly to e.g. Canada and cross at a land crossing.)

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by kalleboo on Sunday January 22, 2017 @06:46AM (#13454795)

The blog post we're commenting was written by an American, so that's what happens to citizens. If he was not a citizen, he would not have been let in.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by psybin on Sunday January 22, 2017 @02:59AM (#13454201)

Non US citizens. Ask a lawyer.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by lucb1e on Sunday January 22, 2017 @05:53AM (#13454639)

Wow. Seriously wow. I thought this was the kind of shit that they do to Julian Assange and other big names, not standard procedure.

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by patrickdavey on Sunday January 22, 2017 @03:46AM (#13454307)

So you are allowed to refuse? Does that automatically sent you entry / get you blacklisted forever?

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Re:I Had My Electronics Seized by U.S. Customs and Border Pr... by Vinkekatten on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @09:31AM (#13471546)

What I don't hear anyone in this thread talk about is, what happens if you present them with a blank device? Say I have a brand new chromebook, no logins, no data. Brand new phone, five emergency contacts and no messages. No logins. Brand new google account.

Won't that look pretty suspicious to mr. wannabe Jack Bauer in the TSA?

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