Customs and passwords

Stuff reports:

Customs boss Carolyn Tremain has told MPs the department would only request travellers hand over passwords to their electronic devices if it had a reason to be suspicious about what was on them.

Oh that’s okay then.

NOT.

Although the proposed power would let Customs request passwords from any traveller or do random checks on electronic devices, Tremain told a parliamentary select committee that was not its intention.

Instead, the department would only use the power if it was acting on “some intelligence or observation of abnormal behaviour”, she said.

How about acting on a warrant?

“The reality is we have 11 million people crossing the border and a limited amount of resources which we are always going to prioritise by taking a risk-assessment approach. We are not saying every 10th person would be inspected.”

Every 12th?

It is quite appropriate for Customs to have power to search physical luggage at borders, because it is necessary to do so to detect illegal items such as drugs, wildlife, flora, goods etc.

But digital files are different. Just because you are going through an airport is no reason the state suddenly gains the ability to look at everything on your phone or computer. Digital files can of course be transferred electronically without the person leaving their home or country. So claiming you need some special power when you are in an airport is not justified.