Aggressive digital border security: NZ customs can now demand phone or laptop passwords
By Sophie Amat on ALTCOIN MAGAZINE
Implications for crypto users & anyone carrying electronic devices
Free thinking, free speaking citizens travelling the world should be worried by this aggressive, globally expanding trend afoot at customs borders worldwide.
This week Aotearoa New Zealand’s Customs Service joined the unholy ranks of countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, China and Mexico who can legally demand any passenger cough up the password to his/her “electronic device” in order to effect a “full search”. And to look for what? Apparently to make a “privacy impact assessment” on a border threat. Euphemistic bureaucratic tattle methinks. So not impressed.
I can only presume the intention is to search for any incriminating evidence that seems needful to the custom’s officer’s inquisitive suspicions at the time you step up to the counter.
And how do customs officers choose in a long Airbus lineup of haggard and impatient travellers spilling into the roped queue lines, which ones to politely “target”? … like culling sheep to remove the undesirable ones from the breeding flock.
Are there profiles of individuals who have a Satoshi Nakamoto-esque look who are carrying their crypto hard wallet in their sock, or a drug-dealing biker look, or perhaps a late model terrorist-robed look? Frankly the mind boggles at the potential profiling discrimination that uninformed guests and kiwi citizens or permanent residents could face landing back home into their own country.
“The unsettling fact is that border officials have long had broad powers — however many people just don’t know about them. For example in the US, Border officials, have search powers that reach 100 air miles inland from any external boundary of the U.S. This means that border agents can stop and question people at fixed checkpoints dozens of miles from U.S. borders.”
The point is, border control have “broad powers” to search whoever and whatever they want in and around a geo-political border. In the US case, up to 100km away from their actual physical country borders. Go figure. Someone please calculate the extra air miles squared that the USA has conveniently assigned themselves to control in full view of an acquiescent global community. I digress.
Back to New Zealand.
The full search of electronic devices at NZ borders does not feel “kind” to me Honorable NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. In reference to your debut UN General Assembly speech in New York a few days ago (Sept 2018) in which you advocated “kindness” ahead of isolationism, rejection and racism, I’m willing to cut your coalition cabinet some slack. It’s likely you’ve inherited dissonant legislation of a different world order — rather than the one you advocated for prior to being elected. It’s up to ordinary kiwi’s to speak up for change, and for tourists to register their angst at such unnecessary privacy intrusions.
crypto Community Outrage
An online crypto community Telegram channel I participate in reposted Sam’s tweet (see below) and the commentary ran hot; the language vivid and plain speaking. Shocked, bully arseholery, modern dystopia, violation to citizen’s privacy, Orwellian … and I agree with all of it. To this I add deeply disappointed that NZ has politically aligned with the other “Big Brothers” and “Busty Sisters” on this front.
Rather than rehash the conversation from the Telegram channel, the succinct response of Bitcoin advocate, educationalist and well-respected crypto market commentator Andreas Antonopoulos (his Twitter handle @aantonop) pretty much summarises the brooding sentiment. “This kind of Orwellian bullshit is unacceptable”. And he won’t be travelling back to NZ either. NZ that’s not cool!
What the heck?
Is the land of the “long white cloud”, my beautiful motherland, evolving into the land of the “long white noose”? Intent on choking our human freedoms, invading, with the ever important legally and politically justified firepower, deeper into the personal affairs of kiwis, Aussies and our tourist guests in the name of catching terrorists, drug busts, tax evading crypto millionaires and enforcing national security? We’ve gone freakin’ effin’ mad!
And not to mention the impact on the tourist trade. But who cares about that right? If other countries border officials are backing up travellers phone and laptop data, then we’re no better or worse than any other country right? It’s an expected hazard of cross-border travelling… I muse sarcastically. Hmmm …
advice to crypto buffs who must travel to NZ
So if you have crypto, remove all software wallets from your devices. Carry your wallet seeds safely on your person (for later wallet restore purposes) or in your luggage in an encrypted paper form. Hide your hard wallets really well. Reload your software wallet when you enter NZ and Bob’s your uncle.
Furthermore, log out of all web-based wallets and make sure you have no passwords saved to auto-open should border control try to see if you have accounts with a digital exchange. So make sure you have your passwords saved elsewhere on a paper wallet or other secure place.
Safest of all is to cold store all your crypto until you cross the border, then repatriate what you need to your operating expenses digital wallet.
This is rudimentary, simplistic stuff, but what I’m pointing to is, remove all traces of your crypto wallets and delete all your browsing history. Apparently this isn’t always effective as tech engineers can go into the “deep data cache” (my nontech language) of your device to find data imprints (note: tech devs know how to truly delete your history so watch a youtube video to get that bit right) but have nonetheless a strategy to have the least amount of data available should your computer or phone or iPad get searched. Do your homework in removing as much data as possible!
professional security hacks for tech head travellers
Seattle-based Ryan Lackey, security researcher and founder of a stealth security startup, reveals his astoundingly simple travel security hacks for his laptop and phone to online magazine Wired.com. Read full article here.
Lackey travels with a locked-down Chromebook and an iPhone SE that’s set up to sync with a separate, non-sensitive Apple account. He wipes both before every trip, and loads only the minimum data he’ll need. Lackey goes so far as to keep separate travel sets for each country, so that he can forensically analyze the devices when he gets home to check for signs of each country’s tampering.
A pretty extreme solution you might say but I get it’s robust and does the job. Gives absolutely minimal data to border control.
However, for those of us without a budget to buy Chromebooks for our travels, I wonder what we can do with our existing laptops. Are they lock downable? To be researched for another blog.
challenge Big Brother / Big Sister state
I am not against customs officers performing their role per se, of the order of bio-protection from crop damaging insects, drug smuggling and other necessary border protections. But dang it! This broad sweeping regulation is invasive to the core of our human right to maintain basic privacy of our lives.
Is it not enough that governments already electronically scan for “other governments” (as you cannot spy on your own citizens) all data sent through the internet anyway? Where does this privacy intrusion madness end?
I encourage, implore, yep even beg, critical thinking NZers, in fact any kiwi who’s had a guts full of heavy handed “Big Brother” tactics to speak out and condemn this legislation change! In fact let’s see if we as a nation of cohesive citizens have the bottle to repeal it. Kiwi’s privacy rights are being diminished in the proverbial manner of eating a big bull elephant’s dirty behind; byte-by-byte. And we, including myself, seem oblivious to the creeping powers of control until the fait accompli is Tweeted and published in respectable and even low spec news media.
As a nation of caring citizens, we rallied together collectively, coherently, taking to the streets and national media, to oppose nuclear powered ships entering NZ waters in 1984. Prime Minister David Lange heard the voice of the people and moved likewise. This proves we can influence mishapen governmental thinking, policies and repeal dud laws.
What will it take, to collectively take on improving our rights to privacy, even at our border control?
New Zealand does not have to “align” with the US attitude of lessening privacy protections to citizens and guests when entering the country at international terminals at airports, or other ports of entry. I strongly affirm we do not!
call to action
So dear fellow Kiwis — tangata whenua and dearest friends of Aotearoa New Zealand. Do you think this latest regulation approval by border control is acceptable?
I think, we’ve been handed an opportunity to rectify incorrect thinking and legislation. Rugby season is almost over so we / you / I have enough time to write petitions, march in demonstration, natter with our local MP or any other myriad of democratic and DIY actions that reverse ridiculous laws that diminish our social freedoms.
The question is my kiwi compatriots, can you be arsed to delicately elevate your justifiably weary behind (I know we are all overworking hard but for what really?) and enquiring mind off your comfortable sofa to do anything practical about this? Or like the unfortunate tired, buffalo in a crocs almighty clamped jaw, are you overwhelmed and fatigued, resigned to simply roll over.
I know we can do this! Idealism and bestowing a template of a happy, peaceful, prosperous nation of responsible, contributing and diverse peoples, is a virtuous intention to work for NOW more than ever in the history of Aotearoa NZ. Let’s move together in unison!!!
We always have choices and the path least travelled is not always the easiest. It is the most rewarding not just for one, but for our entire country. Think beyond self. Think community. Think beyond your personal needs and freedom. Being a citizen is not an independent journey. At some point we work as a harmonious collective, and I posit now it that time.
Remember, centralised government is not ever too challenging to take on. The emergence of bitcoin has adequately proved this point!
My petition is on it’s way to you …
Please sign my NZ Parliament petition. This will be posted soon. It’s currently in an official approval queue.
To help with diffusing my petition you can contact me on WhatsApp +62 813 3911 5337. In exchange I will hold your business, family, your name in my heart and on my prayer altar with gratitude, and make reciprocal social media reposts if there is content / values alignment.
One and all, Namaste!
Soph from DownUnder x
Before moving on, make sure to press follow, leave a clap or 46, share today’s highlight and if you missed the last article, click here.
Follow us on Twitter, InvestFeed, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and join our Discord.
The purpose of ALTCOIN MAGAZINE is to educate the world on crypto and to bring it to the hands and the minds of the masses. This article was written and composed by Sophie Amat on ALTCOIN MAGAZINE.
