Anyone know if the UK is still searching travelers' hard drives upon entry
at Customs?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 13:02:21 -0400
From: vinton g. cerf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: ISTF Discussion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: ISTF Discussion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: UK searching traveler's disk drives for pornography
do any participants know the answer to Barbara Fraser's question?
vint
>Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 02:47:11 -0700
>From: Barbara Fraser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: UK searching traveler's disk drives for pornography
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>The date on this report was 1998. Is it still an issue in the UK, are they
>still doing it?
>
>Barb
>> > Have a look at
>> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid%5F150000/150465.stm
>> >
>> > The gist of this article by Ken Cukier is that he was stopped on entry
>> > to the UK and customs inspectors wanted to submit his hard disk to
>> > scrutiny by means of a software tool - they were disappointed to find
>> > that the reporter, Mr. Kukier, carried a Apple laptop that is "immune"
>> > from the software used by the UK customs department.
>> >
>> > This would appear to be an enormous invasion of privacy, so I draw
>> > this to the attention of the ISOC chapter in England, the ISTF and
>> > the ISOC advisory council. I would urge that the ISTF working group
>> > on privacy begin preparation of a commentary on the ramifications
>> > of such inspections, the uneven application of rules, possible defenses
>> > (legal and technical), and that such commentary be reviewed by
>> > the ISOC advisory council, should it determine an interest in expressing
>> > an opinion. In any case, I would imagine the ISOC chapter in England
>> > would want to have input if not a leadership role in the production
>> > of such a commentary.
>> >
>> > As was discussed in the ISOC Board meeting yesterday, while we may
>> > not wish to take "positions" we may want to draw attention to the
>> > undesirable side-effects of practices, especially side-effects
>> > that, if unchecked, would intolerably erode personal privacy.
>> >
>> > I am aware, of course, that standards for personal privacy may vary
>> > from country to country and culture to culture, but this particular
>> > practice strikes me as going far beyond any reasonable standard in
>> > as much as there seems to be no due process nor even application of
>> > the standard, at the least.
>> >
>> > Vint Cerf
>> >
>> > =================================================================
>> > I moved to a new MCI WorldCom facility on Nov 11, 1999
>> >
>> > MCI WorldCom
>> > 22001 Loudoun County Parkway
>> > Building F2, Room 4115, ATTN: Vint Cerf
>> > Ashburn, VA 20147
>> > Telephone (703) 886-1690
>> > FAX (703) 886-0047
