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Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by xbhdhdhd on Saturday October 05, 2019 @09:52PM (#21169313)
International waters. Some regulations but not really enforceable. Less regulated than the air inc orbit and even the moon.

A famous movie director once said the film director is the last truely dictatorial post left. He was wrong. The captain of a vessel in international waters is.

Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by darksaints on Sunday October 06, 2019 @10:56AM (#21172425)
A boat in international waters is fully regulated by its country of registration. For example, it is illegal to possess or consume marijuana in international waters if your boat is registered in the US.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by coretx on Saturday October 05, 2019 @09:57PM (#21169330)
Although you are de-facto right, limitations on the dictatorial power do apply. Both by the international law that guarantees the "freedom" and regulations set by the flag it waves. These exceptions and limitations do not exist in outerspace, thus only the spaceship captain is totally free/unregulated.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by xbhdhdhd on Saturday October 05, 2019 @10:11PM (#21169379)
Interesting, but a non flag bearing ship is certainly facing less oversight than any spaceship commander.

Id also contend the spaceship is likely controllable remotely, and monitored in both location and status.

Maybe the private submarine captain trumps all

Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by Mountain_Skies on Saturday October 05, 2019 @11:09PM (#21169580)
I might be remembering wrong, but I thought un-flagged ships in international waters are considered pirates and can be acted upon in a hostile manner by flagged ships.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by big_chungus on Saturday October 05, 2019 @11:17PM (#21169615)
Theoretically possible because an un-flagged ship has not the protection of a recognized state. You could do it, but it would be mighty risky and you would have almost zero legal recourse against a bad actor.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by TheSpiceIsLife on Sunday October 06, 2019 @03:43AM (#21170458)
A ship captain, whether marine or space, is only as free and unregulated as the crew and passengers allow.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by quickthrower2 on Sunday October 06, 2019 @02:44AM (#21170260)
How are cruise ships "policed"? Does anyone know? E.g. a crime happens aboard - does it get sorted out by the country the ship is registered to?
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by guptaneil on Sunday October 06, 2019 @03:08AM (#21170346)
Yes, but nearly all cruise ships are registered with tiny countries like Panama and the Bahamas, in order to have the most lax laws applied to them. Hasan Minhaj did an interesting episode about cruise ships recently on "Patriot Act" if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nCT8h8gO1g
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by alexis_fr on Sunday October 06, 2019 @04:20AM (#21170573)
Yes, and most cruise ship have security agents and morgue on board, although I don’t think they generally have actual policemen.

But the point about offshore regulations being hard to enforce is interesting.

Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by quickthrower2 on Sunday October 06, 2019 @04:26PM (#21174864)
Thanks I watched it, Very interesting. Nice mix of comedy and information.

Tldw: within a small number of miles of shore it’s police or federal (USA I guess it’s similar for other countries). After that it’s up to the ship. Cruise companies don’t want crime statistics so are unlikely to do anything about petty crime. There is death on high seas act but that only helps for a blatant murder. Jurisdiction is the flag which is likely to be panama or Bahamas. Your living areas can be searched any time and security can lock you up in your cabin. Cruises seem horrible to me and there are reports in the news of fights breaking out. But the worst thing for me is why be stuck on a ship that has less to do than I can do in my home city?

Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by BjoernKW on Monday October 07, 2019 @08:17AM (#21179877)
Theoretically, yes.

However, it seems to be a more or less open secret (from a friend of mine who works in the industry) that investigations won't be conducted as diligently as if the crime had happened on land.

Part of the reason for that is that it's difficult to secure evidence after several days or even weeks and the staff on board or the police in the next port often isn't qualified to do so.

Another contributing factor seems to be that cruise ship operators don't want any hassle or negative press and therefore push for investigations to be dealt with swiftly and silently.

Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by JamilD on Sunday October 06, 2019 @04:27AM (#21170595)
I’m in the middle of reading “The Outlaw Ocean”; really eye-opening to see how much people can get away with in international waters, away from any scrutiny or accountability.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by tomcam on Sunday October 06, 2019 @11:34AM (#21172656)
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by mud_dauber on Saturday October 05, 2019 @10:40PM (#21169484)
Until said captain notices a long-range, long-duration-time drone keeping tabs on his operations. That could be interesting.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by jbottoms on Sunday October 06, 2019 @07:20AM (#21171300)
Illegal fish catches are transfered at night when transponders are turned off. So there is now monitoring by satellite, not drones, to identify the culprits. That is cheaper than keeping drones replenished, and its batteries charged, the ocean is huge.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by Apocryphon on Saturday October 05, 2019 @11:18PM (#21169617)
Do Congressional-issued letters of marque have jurisdiction on international waters?
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by hef19898 on Sunday October 06, 2019 @03:46AM (#21170464)
Letters of Marque and privateering became illegal internationally in the late 19th century with a naval treaty. Prize warfare conducted by official naval forces is something different, si.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by epse on Sunday October 06, 2019 @02:31AM (#21170219)
AFAIK, no. No country has any effect there, as international waters don't belong to any nation.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by BurningFrog on Sunday October 06, 2019 @01:06AM (#21169932)
True, but there is also nothing protecting you from what would be "crimes" on land.
Re:Ask HN: Cool stuff that's still completely unregulated? by buboard on Sunday October 06, 2019 @04:46AM (#21170671)
Which international waters? Because what we ve seen is governments will interfere beyond their UN 12 miles territorial waters and into their 200mil economic zones, disallowing any experimentation.