Post: #1

Most people probably already know, but I thought I'd relay my experience of going through Melbourne Airport recently after spending about 2 years travelling.

I landed into Melbourne airport and innocently decided to declare my prescription medicine, and was immediately questioned about my past travel destinations. I had my phone seized, it's entire contents searched, my camera, and the same for my laptop. That resulted in a 3 hour delay and a threat of a travel ban.

How it all transpired was that, I was initially suspected of being a drug-trafficker, because I was only transiting for a short time, and my previous destination had been Thailand. So, if your prior stop was Thailand, I'd avoid telling them that unless your hand is forced. Upon their satisfaction that I wasn't guilty of drug-trafficking my phone was then seized. I had no idea that this was even legal; I thought a gross invasion of privacy.

It was demanded that I unlock my phone, and she then proceeded to search through all my text messages, emails, Facebook communications, and media.

She came across some pictures of my girls who I have on my phone, some of them were in states of undress; so this automatically labelled me as a paedophile, I didn't sweat it, I don't sleep with underage girls, but this didn't stop her from assuming I was; because to an XXL sized Australian Femi-nazi border guard any girl from Asia who is under 30 looks like a kid!
So, that entailed quizzing me on the name, age, and finally trying to trip me up with their date of birth.

This continued to my camera, and finally my laptop; of which they searched the entire thing, quizzing me on each person they found.

Femi-nazi: Who is this?
Me: My sister!
Femi-nazi: What's her name??
Me: Bob!

Upon them finding some fetish porn, that they deemed objectionable, I was then threatened that I was going to be banned from ever travelling to Australia again.

This was all the while they were using as loud a voice as possible so as to try and maximise my 'embarrassment' while being surrounded by other travellers.

Overall - probably one of the worst customs experiences I've ever had.

Unlike other countries were you are generally treated with a modicum of respect, and you are innocent until proven guilty - in Australia, they are using a magnifying glass to find any reason to deport you and behave like rabid pack animals looking their next prey.

Moral of that story: If you travel to Australia don't travel with porn of any kind, don't have pictures of females on your phone (even if they are dressed), and be prepared to have your dignity and pride trampled on, don't declare if your travel itinerary passes through suspicious locations - you will be interrogated & having a password on your device means nothing, they will demand you unlock it, and if you don't they will seize it, and ban you from entering the country.

Happy travels.

Post: #2

sucks.

it's like.. you're the only person watching porn, and porn sites are the most visited websites on earth after facebook and google.

does anyone have a list of countries in which customs or police have a right to search your stuff without the search warrant from court?

Post: #3

I'm not going to argue that they were as professional as they should have been, but this is pretty common behavior among immigration officers in just about any Western country.

They behaved in a threatening manner to see how you would react. Of course they still let you in.

It's a common law enforcement tactic to place people under pressure, because the guilty ones are known to crack.

Post: #4

I only have experience with Australia, so I am not sure, but I believe from my googling research that UK, USA, Canada, Australia are the most prolific invaders of privacy. New Zealand law doesn't allow them to search your devices without permission.

Post: #5

Australia Immigration Authorities sound similar to Canadian ones like what happened to that former Louisiana Senator guy Dr. David Duke when he went into Canada. I heard that the Canadian border authorities seized all of his books and "burned" them because it was considered "hate speech".

It was unwise to travel with "controversial" content while entering feminist dominated countries..Hate speech laws are enforced rigorously that even owning a picture of your girlfriend in a state of undress can cause some violation of their Penal Code there.

Many people complain how American border authorities are a pain in the ass because they keep on getting more vigilant about preventing any weapons of mass destruction entering the country...but Canada, and now Australia are more considered about searching for politically incorrect content and "hate speech".

It was also disturbing how the Australian commie-dyke Immigration officer labelled you a "pedo" because they saw images of thin, legal-age chicks from a device which they obtained from questionable means..Don't the West got bigger things to worry about at their border terminals like some ISIS fighter creating mass terror? Australian Immigration authorities appear to be SJW to the Maximum.

Any American border patrol who demands to seize electronic devices to search for hate speech is totally out of their minds, but that same thought police thing is prevalent anywhere which doesn't protect free speech like the USA

Post: #6

Welcome to the United Australian Socialist Republic.

If I were you I'd keep all that nasty shit encrypted on a flash drive. One of those tiny ones that barely even pokes out of the USB port. And I wouldn't keep it with the computer either.

This is the new normal. It would not surprise me in the slightest that in addition to being a male you're also in your prime and white. On my last five domestic flights I noticed that nobody but white men 20-40 years of age were picked for additional screening.

Post: #7

Sounds like an episode of Border Security.

Post: #8

Ah, this entire thread strikes a chord, I am quite passionate about it and what a huge invasion of privacy it is. Something similar happened to me after moving back to Canada from Indonesia 3 years ago. It was 2am, 40 hours of travel, 3 large bags, 2 small one, and 3 computers (work, personal, travel tablet). I was held up for 2 hours.

Like some people here, I didn't know they could do this, and started researching it. During the search, I was minorly concerned about the 1 TB of pirated movies, music and books I had on an external HD, but presumably they're looking for terrorism stuff and illegal porn.

I did come across this though:

http://sequart.org/magazine/1433/canada-hates-comics/

Turns out in Canada, for something to be considered kiddie porn, it just has to "depict" a minor. That minor need not be a real person, or in the case above, can be a cartoon. Fake erotic stories with minors would also fall in that category.

Recently a guy plead guilty in Halifax, Canada over refusal to give customs his phone passwords, after showing up with $5k cash, and traces of cocaine on his bags from DR. So they seized it, and they still have buddy's phone 18 months later.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...-1.3721110

I was hoping that this would be pushed, and the ridiculous fishing expedition of electronic device searches could be put to an end.

Perhaps I'm paranoid, but generally before travelling, I give most of my devices a thorough wipe, but perhaps leave enough that it doesn't look like it was intentionally hosed down raising suspicion. Encryption could work, but even if they come across encrypted files, they can force you to decrypt, give passwords etc, or in the case above, straight up seize your devices indefinitely, and charge you with obstruction. It seems that the laws have evolved to the point that they're so opaque, wide reaching, and confusing for the average person, that the slightest suggestion of malfeasance can be drummed up into something huge. Eg: Videos about Hitler. History buff? Or Neo Nazi?

Post: #9

Please spread this news as far as you can.
Damaging the undeserved tourism to that asshole-run shithole is an honourable public service.

Post: #10

I might be wrong but I believe for the USA they can't force you to give the password if the device was turned off at time of seizure.

Post: #11

If you all would like to know how to see red in under 30 seconds, let me tell the story of when my American friend last crossed the Canadian border.

He was coming up to make a self-funded indie movie, so he had some gear in his car. Basically, nothing to worry about.

Not only did they delay him for hours (I think it was 8 hours grilling one day, denied, and then hit another border for another few hours the next day to be let in but "marked" on file).

They did the whole thing OP describes -- going through phone, computer, etc.

Upon pulling up a photo of his 11 year old daughter about to go in the swimming pool: "if there would have been any more skin in this photo we would have arrested you for child porn".

I salute his restraint.

A dickless border "officer" insinuating that you are a pedophile because you have photos of your own daughter is next level scumbaggery. I imagine wanting to pin him against the wall by his throat and smashing his windpipe.

In case you needed more evidence that your "elected" officials, guards, and state have your best interests and security in mind...

Post: #12

Wow, thanks for sharing.

Post: #13

that's fucked man

state department warns about the same thing for Israel, but I'm sure yall have heard stories about how the Israelis can get sometimes. Not judging them just calling a spade a spade.

I got stopped in Canada as well. I honestly just think it was because I raised eyebrows traveling to Vancouver for only 5 days, one of which being 4/20. They eventually let me go, but not without feeling up the sides of my bag, stiffing their fingers down my lotion and body wash, bending my sneakers, making me empty out my wallet, asking about why I have a military id, etc etc...

got stopped in England as well, that one was weird, and I think the guy was stereotyping the fuck out of me. He pulls me over to the side, asks questions like "so what are you planning on seeing while you're here?" "oh, 5 days is an awfully short amount of time to be traveling, can I see your passport" after I already got stamped... eventually asks for proof of onward travel, I show him my return ticket, which didn't satisfy him, he wanted to see where I worked and who I work for.. I show him.. he gets surprised, lets me go. Fuck.

Got questioned in Dubai about my bag full of dirty clothes.. once the ladies understood it was dirty clothes they stopped feeling up on it lolol

in Japan I've had the agent spend a little more time with me than he did with others, and he too searched my bag, which he didn't do to others

nowadays I just expect to get fucked with, so I just act polite and just mention how I'm there to have fun, be safe, see new things, and go back home in peace.