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Travellers to be searched for pr0n

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sinner

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Not getting much in the way of coverage yet but this is big IMHO.

This essentially gives AUS Customs the same draconian rights that US Customs and TSA currently enjoy: basically the ability to rummage through your personal digitised stuff totally at their discretion (regardless of business confidentiality or regard for your privacy) - even though there is absolutely no hope of catching anyone under the intended cause. It begs for abuse on the part of disgruntled Customs staff.

What a damned joke we have become.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...rs-to-be-searched-for-pr0n-20100520-vh09.html

ustralian customs officers have been given new powers to search incoming travellers' laptops and mobile phones for pornography, a spokeswoman for the Australian sex industry says.

Fiona Patten, president of the Australian Sex Party, is demanding an inquiry into why a new question appears on Incoming Passenger Cards asking people if they are carrying "pornography".

Patten said officials now had an unfettered right to examine travellers' electronic devices, marking the beginning of a new era of official investigation into people's private lives. She questioned whether it was appropriate to search people for legal R18+ and X18+ material.
Click to expand...

Clicky to read on.
 
Yep once again fear (of terrorism, child pr0n etc) will be used by legislators to erode our personal freedom, impinge on our liberty and invade our privacy.

Up there with internet filters, ID cards, banning burquas etc.
 
stupid question...

but how will they know if it is legal or illegal?

obviously underage stuff is illegal, but legal pr0n being illegal, maybe you purchased that movie online?

are they going to sit there and go through each induvidual file on your laptop? if you have encrypted files that could be "work sensitive" will you have to unencrypt them? Another punch in the face for the "normal australia" again and their rights as a free citizen. Why dont they just change the law and make it more heavy handed? eg: if you get caught with child pr0n you get LIFE IN JAIL. Now that would be a better idea.

You wait until they start arresting people for illegal MP3 music and illegal movies... It will happen with this communist government.
 
Without seeing all the facts, I don't think that any content should be allowed to enter our shore that otherwise should be paid for with some legitamicy.

Content owners are being absolutely crucified lately with copy and paste.
 
kennas said:
Without seeing all the facts, I don't think that any content should be allowed to enter our shore that otherwise should be paid for with some legitamicy.

Content owners are being absolutely crucified lately with copy and paste.
Click to expand...

Am I reading this right?
Oh, you have an mp3 player, well it's not an iPod so it must be full of illegally
downloaded tracks, format device please.

Please back up your copy and paste claim above and not with studies run by the MP/RIAA.

I wont claim that abuse is not widespread but I do object to draconian guilty before proven innocent measures and persecution.
The whole copyright debate is getting quite farcical, the more people are persecuted (yes, persecuted) and common good rights (copyright now life + 70 yrs, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act>) being eroded, the more people will blatantly ignore them.
If we had reasonable copyright terms, then people might be more inclined to follow them as a) there would be more material in the public domain and b) it's a lot easier to argue for supporting a fair system.

Cheers,
JB
 
kennas said:
Without seeing all the facts, I don't think that any content should be allowed to enter our shore that otherwise should be paid for with some legitamicy.

Content owners are being absolutely crucified lately with copy and paste.
Click to expand...
Copyright needs to be respected. It is the property of the creator. Stop the downloading of illegal stuff etc. But why should someone go through your computer and eye the creation in progress that is copyright - in the case of an author, a book.
 
kennas said:
Without seeing all the facts, I don't think that any content should be allowed to enter our shore that otherwise should be paid for with some legitamicy.

Content owners are being absolutely crucified lately with copy and paste.
Click to expand...

How the hell will customs decide whether the music stored on someones phone or MP3 player is 'pirated' or not? For all they know the person owns all of those CDs legitimately.
 
Hopefully all Fed pollies will soon be forced to undergo strip and internal searches before entering and leaving Parliament House in Cantberra. Clearly, they can't be trusted.

It only seems fair.....

:cool:
 
Can you refuse to let them search based on confidential documents, etc governed under foreign countries Official Secrets Act's or Australian OSA?

What's the process if you tell them NO they cannot search.
 
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