France’s research minister said a French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticism of the Trump administration.
Would be helpful if we could see those messages so we can form an opinion.
I told my wife before I could never go to the US because of the stuff I write online, now I’m sure of it
You’re not missing a fucking thing, buddy.
Travel advise: prepare for a trip to the US like you’d prepare for a trip to Russia or China. (Note: being an anarchist who thinks Putin, Xi and Trump don’t deserve a separate rope for each, I wouldn’t consider a visit.)
Don’t bring your real computing device. Bring an empty device from which you can VPN to a system that actually has your data.
If you need to bring an encrypted device, consider the possibility that authorities will attempt to coerce you into unlocking it (and will cause you great disruption and indignity if you won’t). You might be safer bringing a concealed + encrypted microSD card and a device loaded with an OS intended to be searched. If the data matters, make sure you cannot unlock your device under coercion.
(Trivial method: send your friend in the US a snailmail letter. Ask them to keep the letter until your arrival. Into the letter, steganographically embed the OTP key material to obtain the passphrase to decrypt your device. Now to decrypt the device, three things will be needed: your cooperation and knowledge, the device, and the letter. And you can deny that the letter contains anything.)
Edit: upgraded advise - mail your local contact an encrypted MicroSD card. Cross the border with a Raspberry Pi in factory packaging, or buy it locally (they’re still permitted, despite their widespread use by anarchists).
My entry to China was really easy. I’m very concerned about my return trip to the US. I have to come back at my home and family are there… doors anyone know if I’m denied entity if I can just book and flight and leave? Why do I need to have the government deport off in rolling to go on my own?
because they need the deportation numbers to outdo biden. plus prison contracts. plus it’s just fun I guess. it’s a whole thing.
I’m not quite sure I’d call that trivial, haha.
There’s also the option of making a hidden partition or otherwise doing stenography within the device. I’m guessing for most travelers just pretty surface level hiding of things will be enough, though. TSA agents are not cybersecurity experts.
Freedom of speech, eh? Guess I’m banned if they find out about this account or my Bluesky account.
Fuck this shitty ass country.
I have a burner but it seems like you need to create social media accounts filled with non political content and keep them updated so they don’t look fake. Anyone know how to automate this?
don’t do this. it’s a waste of your time. if you’re actually scared of the us government, the answer is to stop using social media
The answer is to stop visiting the US.
I mean, there could be situations where one doesn’t have a choice. Definitely try and avoid it, though, and don’t go for fun.
Elbows up buddy! 🍁
Not just the US government.
The issue is border control won’t believe you don’t have any social media accounts and might refuse entry.
Amazing to think that they criticised “freedom of speech” in Europe
Freedom for me but not for thee
The US has turned in Russia for real. Russians were checking phones at the border when the war started.
Wow, ok. You, guys (Americans), are royally fucked over there. Yet another reason not to visit the US ever.
usa was always “Russia”. The difference is usa have a massive propaganda apparatus to make us think you are the goodies and who are the baddies
Well it was limited to " the browns" before.
I am going to die in a concentration camp before 2028
if we are poop buddies i will share my sardines with you
Translation: if you’re going to the US you might have to immediately find a flight back because their government might go through your phone and find out that you rightfully criticised their great orange leader. Glad I managed to visit before, America can go and choke on their aspirations.
The Nazis literally did this with a law. They made it illegal to be critical of the party. Fuck the alarm, we’ve already been had.
Might as well start wearing red triangles now🔻
Yup. “But we’re not there yet”, so they say. “Too soon to act rashly”.
'First they started mass deportations, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.
Then they started refusing people who were critical of them, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.
Then they started blatantly taking money from the poor and give it to the rich, but it wasn’t a corrupt system yet, so we did not act.
Finally they fully took over the nation, but by then all the people who would have acted were already gone and dealt with.’
Not all, but the gist of it. Thankfully some bubbles of resistance are starting to form in the US, but the main people who were elected to uphold the law and fight this democraticly are already bribed or blackmailed, so it’s in great part up to the people, and whatever stance the army ends up taking when they are forced to choose between loyalty to the constitution, or an individual.
the scientists were smart enough to flee Germany or places that nazis occupied. i see this going to happen with USa if not already, US already has a problem with shortages in some areas of stem. its a complex set of problems all around, this latest fiasco just adds into it.
This is dark. They aren’t bothering to hide what’s going on anymore.
Usually I respect the honesty more than the subterfuge.
But when it’s Nazi’s. Nope. Wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire.
One thing authoritarian systems have in common is a permanent atmosphere of fear. Honesty is highly unwanted there, integrity will get you straight into trouble. Fascist systems are built on hypocrisy and fear.
You respect the honesty because it reveals people’s character. And if a person thinks that Taylor Swift is an awful singer, then cool, you can agree or disagree.
But when it’s honesty about contempt for your fellow man? A punch in the face is the only thing that works.
Sounds like a case of “MAGA snowflake syndrome” smh
Actual TDS. In that TDS is anyone who likes that fascist.
Always has been
What? A scientist who is critical of Trump?? How can that be???
or one that contradicts him, aka fauci.
Republicans are really mad that reality has a left wing bias
There tends to be a general distaste toward politicians in general among the scientific community.
“The most useless creature on earth, directly followed by the second most useless, the journalist” one of my chemistry profs (a highly respected authority within the chemical community) used to say about politicians. A slightly extreme opinion, IMO, but he predicted several upcoming “scandals” caused by the press’ and politicians’ complete ignorance of chemistry and inability to think scientifically. His predictions turned out to be 100% right.
How strange that all the people who think don’t like Trump?
Studies have consistwntly shown that the more education one gets, the more their political view skews left. It explains why colleges, staffed and managed by PhDs, tend to be left-wing. That’s why the Conservative Propaganda Machine has to constantly attack education.
Dictators hate intellectuals.
I don’t even have to name any specific one, its a trend across all dictatorships.
Funny that the US has become more like Russia since Trump was elected.
