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> “What is the password to this device?” is a verbal collection of information, which is prohibited by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) unless it has been appr
by teraflop 9y ago
> “What is the password to this device?” is a verbal collection of information, which is prohibited by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) unless it has been approved in advance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a “control number” has been assigned by OMB, and individuals from whom information is to be collected are given notice of this.
I find this extremely implausible. If it were true, wouldn't it also imply that customs and immigration officers aren't allowed to ask any questions that don't appear on the customs form? I thought it was generally accepted that they had a wide latitude to conduct an interview and use the results to determine admissibility.
The Paperwork Reduction Act is primarily designed to regulate exactly what it sounds like -- standardized forms for data collection. It specifically excludes "A request for facts or opinions addressed to a single person". (https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=5:3.0.2.3.9&idno=5#se5.3.1320_13 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=t...)
- JoshTriplett 9y agoI'm not an expert in the applicability of that law, but if they're systematically asking people for passwords, that's not necessarily "addressed to a single person".
- freeone3000 9y agoPaperwork Reduction Act is an attempt to reduce paperwork. Customs and immigration questions are not paperwork, despite how systematic they are. Consider if they have an OMB number for "Citizenship? Duration of stay? Purpose of visit?", the questions nearly every traveller gets asked. They don't. Of course they don't. They don't need one.
- UncleEntity 9y agoFrom the bottom of the Customs Declaration form: PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection and a person is not required to respond to this information unless it displays a current valid OMB control number.
- Zak 9y agoThese questions are present on customs form 6059B. Asking them again verbally probably isn't illegal. This form does have an OMB number: it's 1651-0009.