Random Thoughts

[PrimeNumber7]

The chances of your electronic device being searched at the boarder is low. In 2018, only about 33k people had their devices searched out of hundreds of millions of people entering the country.

The answer to your question is fairly simple, and does not matter which type of disk you are trying to cross the border with (and you do not allow CBP to see unencrypted data). (if the CBP attempts to search the disk)If you are a US citizen, you will eventually be allowed to enter the country, although you may first be detained. If you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, you will probably not be allowed to enter the country. CBP may make an image of the disk to try to decrypt it off site or possibly at a later time (for example if weaknesses of a particular encryption algorithm is discovered in the future). There is no law against carrying encrypted data across the border, and no requirement that you disclose any decryption keys.

That's a lot higher than I thought!

When I travel overseas, I usually will either remove any sensitive, private information from my electronic devices I will travel over an international border, or will bring a fresh device that, after a delay, can access a private network to access sensitive information, and a second device that can quickly remove the first devices' access to the private network in case any border agent decides he wants to look at my devices.

In light of this, if I was asked to show a border agent my electronic devices, I would gladly do so, knowing they don't contain any private information.

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[MajorMiner]

People generally overestimate the amount of interest government has in them and their possessions at the border crossing... If there is anything worth knowing they either already know or do not care, and in a rare outlier cases I am sure their solution would be blunt and pragmatic 

[UNOE]

People generally overestimate the amount of interest government has in them and their possessions at the border crossing... If there is anything worth knowing they either already know or do not care, and in a rare outlier cases I am sure their solution would be blunt and pragmatic  

They have a truth serum as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2o928TJU8

If they really needed it they could use it, but doubt it would be used on a border.
If they needed the information that much they'd just pick you up somewhere.
I think the same goes for torture. Regular border cops wouldn't try so hard.

[Lauda]

They have a truth serum as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2o928TJU8

That's why you have passwords that you can't remember even when you're sober, let alone on some toxic chemicals.  

If they really needed it they could use it, but doubt it would be used on a border.
If they needed the information that much they'd just pick you up somewhere.
I think the same goes for torture. Regular border cops wouldn't try so hard.

Although in general, you make a great point here. This is why I recommend staying away from the US and any country that applies US-like practices. It's a police state, a joke of a "democracy" at best.

[UNOE]

They have a truth serum as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2o928TJU8

That's why you have passwords that you can't remember even when you're sober, let alone on some toxic chemicals.  

If they really needed it they could use it, but doubt it would be used on a border.
If they needed the information that much they'd just pick you up somewhere.
I think the same goes for torture. Regular border cops wouldn't try so hard.

Although in general, you make a great point here. This is why I recommend staying away from the US and any country that applies US-like practices. It's a police state, a joke of a "democracy" at best.

Every country in the modern world is like that. I'd say most are even worse.

How do you have a password you can't remember sober? What happens if you forget it? 

[mikeywith]

Every country in the modern world is like that. I'd say most are even worse.

That is not true, the U.S has the most complicated security measures of all countries that I am aware of, in 90% of boarders around the globe, the only security department that has the slightest interest in your electronic devices are the anti-hijacking guys. All they need to know is that your laptop has not been physically tempered  and that it does not have say a knife in it, in most cases all they would ask you to do is to turn on that device, if it boots normally- you are free to go.

Having said that, I am certain that even in U.S you are unlikely to be checked unless you are being a suspect, no airport on planet earth has the human resources needed to perform such an intensive check, plus it's 2020 already, "illegal" data that might be searched for can be encrypted and "safely" sent over the internet, there is no incentives for "criminals" to carry such data with them to the airport.

[Lauda]

Every country in the modern world is like that. I'd say most are even worse.

Definitely disagreed. Most of the countries in the west are better than the US, pretty much in every conceivable way.

How do you have a password you can't remember sober? What happens if you forget it? 

There are many ways to do this. 

[UNOE]

How do you have a password you can't remember sober? What happens if you forget it? 

There are many ways to do this. 

Please elaborate 

Every country in the modern world is like that. I'd say most are even worse.

That is not true, the U.S has the most complicated security measures of all countries that I am aware of, in 90% of boarders around the globe, the only security department that has the slightest interest in your electronic devices are the anti-hijacking guys. All they need to know is that your laptop has not been physically tempered  and that it does not have say a knife in it, in most cases all they would ask you to do is to turn on that device, if it boots normally- you are free to go.

Having said that, I am certain that even in U.S you are unlikely to be checked unless you are being a suspect, no airport on planet earth has the human resources needed to perform such an intensive check, plus it's 2020 already, "illegal" data that might be searched for can be encrypted and "safely" sent over the internet, there is no incentives for "criminals" to carry such data with them to the airport.

Ohh, for the borders thing I agree.
I meant as a police state.

I mean, look at the UK, they're even trying to ban pointy knives.
Freedom of speech is almost non-existant.

[Carlton Banks]

dunno folks, I suspect this whole border crossing charade will become increasingly anachronistic as the decade rolls on, not least driven by how much of a pain in the ass it's becoming (but also by new tech of various kinds)

[paxmao]

I cross borders many times a year. I am "randomly selected for a in-depth search" 1 of every 3. Welcome to my world.
[/quote]

But they don't check the content of your disk?
Those are still high numbers!
Are you on some sort of list? o.o
[/quote]

Perhaps, I have a quite boring life but I know for a fact that there is someone in Mexico with a similar name that is on a list. My electronics devices are not searched, although I have been asked to turn them one of them once in a control.

[UNOE]

I cross borders many times a year. I am "randomly selected for a in-depth search" 1 of every 3. Welcome to my world.

But they don't check the content of your disk?
Those are still high numbers!
Are you on some sort of list? o.o

Perhaps, I have a quite boring life but I know for a fact that there is someone in Mexico with a similar name that is on a list. My electronics devices are not searched, although I have been asked to turn them one of them once in a control.

Do you know what they did with it once they took it?

[palle11]

Modern (or postmodern) laws are a game, invented to amuse people who have sufficient firepower to enforce the rules of their game.  Arbiters of those rules are called lawyers.

This question is for the lawyers:

What are the legalities attendant passing of the United States border with a disk full of pseudorandom......
If the disk’s owner is telling the truth, it cannot be proved that he is telling the truth.

In the first place , that game you called laws are not really under those whom you also called arbiters but they are existing for the purpose of interpreting what emanates from social contract where the people relinquish their individual and personal security for collective security in governance and rules are just one aspect of it   . That is, what Thomas Hobbes said without it, life will go back to natural state, short, nasty and brutish....

Second, for the lawyers; a lawsuit is going to be filed against an offender of the border lines for contravening, if a rule exist on it.

Third, a disk owner can be proved to be saying the truth by exhibits and preponderance of evidence he/she is tendering in the court.