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If software identifies you as potential criminal or terrorist at the border, the following search is not "arbitrary" by any means. The state should not be trans
by bflesch 10y ago
If software identifies you as potential criminal or terrorist at the border, the following search is not "arbitrary" by any means. The state should not be transparent about the exact reasons why you were chosen (e.g. the social media post or phone call), apart from pointing out the law based on which they are acting.
- danbruc 10y agoOnly if the software or procedures do a reasonable job at selecting people. It is hard to tell from the outside whether this is the case but the cases that became publicly known at least suggest that the system is not flawless and also seems to pick people with opinions or doing things the US disapproves but which are not illegal. How much information must be provided is certainly debatable. Article 9 continues as follows. Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him. So what are reasons? You are in violation of US law? You are in violation of US law X? You are in violation of US law X because you did Y? You are in violation of US law X because you did Y and we know because of Z? How much reason is enough reason? Actually, if you are only detained for some time, then there re probably no charges. Unfortunately my understanding of law has a lot to be desired. How much inference is allowed without charges? And thinking about it again, nobody, as far as I can tell, heavily complains about your bags getting searched, for security or customs. So it seems indeed more of a matter of degree what kind of search is acceptable. On the other hand getting your bags searched is about imminent dangers and crimes, downing the airplane, smuggling illegal things, evading taxes. Inspecting your digital life seems hard to justify from that perspective unless you think people are regularly posting on Facebook that they are about to cross the border with a bag full of drugs hidden so well that they can not be found.
- bflesch 10y agoI am astonished by your entitlement. The state has no obligation to tell you about the inner workings of their selection / profiling process. All that counts is safety of its citizens. If I'm not a citizen and representatives of the country I want to enter tell me that they think I am a risk, the systems actually works. Of all these one-sided stories we are hearing one wonders about what kind of darknet "activism" some people are involved.
- benchaney 10y agoRequiring the government to justify human rights abuses isn't entitlement. It is common sense.
- ipsin 10y agoIf all that counts is the safety of your citizens, why would anyone ever be allowed to enter a country, unless they were there to perform a life-saving operation or a similar good?
- bflesch 10y agotrade.
- danbruc 10y agoI would be kind of okay with this if I could just turn around. We think you are a risk, either show us your phone - and we may or may not allow you to enter after looking at it - or take the next airplane home. It would be nice, if you would tell me this before I waste my time and money to go on the flight so that I can decide in advance if I am willing to find out how looking at my phone will influence your assessment of me. But I certainly see how telling this in advance would be problematic or undesirable. But once you start to arrest me, I really want to know why you are doing this and I surely think that I am entitled to get this information. You don't have to tell me which undersea cables you tapped to get your information but just telling me that you think I am violating an unspecified law certainly doesn't cut it. I am still a human not found guilty by any court and you need good reasons to take away my freedom, citizen or not. And you owe me an explanation so that I can take appropriate measures to resolve the situation.
- bflesch 10y agoThe country you're travelling to doesn't owe you anything. In some areas of the world, border guards will shoot or rob you. If you don't take part in any shit that annoys the powers that be, you will most likely never be approached by border guards at all. I really think that as citizens of the western world we are in no position to argue that travelling between countries is bad or cumbersome for us. Edit: To answer your reply, it is not a human right to be allowed to go into a certain country.