3 ms·

I hate to pull a [CITATION NEEDED] but FedEx packages go through customs too. On what basis are they still allowed to seize drugs, money, counterfeit goods, we

by kgo 16y ago

I hate to pull a [CITATION NEEDED] but FedEx packages go through customs too. On what basis are they still allowed to seize drugs, money, counterfeit goods, weapons, but not an (alleged) terrorist's computer and cellphones? EDIT: I used to work with a guy who had $300 worth of Made-to-measure shirts from the UK seized by customs. If they can do that, I'm sure they can find a regulation that lets them seize a laptop.

bigiain 16y ago
There's a difference though, at least if your fedexed laptop gets pulled for examination, the customs agents don't get to play their sadistic "make you pee your pants" game while they look at it... I'm seriously surprised the customs agents keep getting away with that. I'd like to think any Australian customs agent responsible for those sorts of tricks would very quickly be without a job and paying for his own defense lawyers... (And yeah, I'd probably be sadly disappointed in my own countries response to customs abuse of power too...)
- kragen 16y ago
  > There's a difference though, at least if your fedexed laptop gets pulled for examination, the customs agents don't get to play their sadistic "make you pee your pants" game while they look at it... Another difference is that if your fedexed laptop gets opened and a hardware keylogger or rootkit inserted, you don't have any indication that anything untoward happened.
- Maxious 16y ago
  I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but Australian Customs and Border Protection agents harass people too, specifically taking business documents, mobile phones, USB drive contents, demanding passwords where there is no legislated power to do so, not keeping records/track of the items seized: http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/customs_admin_of_coercive_powers_in_passenger_processing_report_15_2010.pdf http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/customs_admin_of_coercive_...
hammock 16y ago
$300 worth of Made-to-measure shirts from the UK is about one shirt.

by kgo 16y ago

bigiain 16y ago

There's a difference though, at least if your fedexed laptop gets pulled for examination, the customs agents don't get to play their sadistic "make you pee your pants" game while they look at it... I'm seriously surprised the customs agents keep getting away with that. I'd like to think any Australian customs agent responsible for those sorts of tricks would very quickly be without a job and paying for his own defense lawyers... (And yeah, I'd probably be sadly disappointed in my own countries response to customs abuse of power too...)

kragen 16y ago
> There's a difference though, at least if your fedexed laptop gets pulled for examination, the customs agents don't get to play their sadistic "make you pee your pants" game while they look at it... Another difference is that if your fedexed laptop gets opened and a hardware keylogger or rootkit inserted, you don't have any indication that anything untoward happened.
Maxious 16y ago
I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but Australian Customs and Border Protection agents harass people too, specifically taking business documents, mobile phones, USB drive contents, demanding passwords where there is no legislated power to do so, not keeping records/track of the items seized: http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/customs_admin_of_coercive_powers_in_passenger_processing_report_15_2010.pdf http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/customs_admin_of_coercive_...

hammock 16y ago

$300 worth of Made-to-measure shirts from the UK is about one shirt.