{"id":4438,"date":"2017-02-22T23:31:22","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T15:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.darknet.org.uk\/?p=4438"},"modified":"2017-02-22T23:31:39","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T15:31:39","slug":"visiting-the-states-have-your-passwords-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.darknet.org.uk\/2017\/02\/visiting-the-states-have-your-passwords-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting The States? Have Your Passwords Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s been a lot of buzz about this on Twitter, if you’re visiting the states anytime soon you might want to have your social media login credentials handy – as they might be requesting them at the border.<\/p>\n

\"Visiting<\/p>\n

I find the whole thing rather contrived though as I use 2FA for everything, so they are welcome to my passwords – they can’t log in even with them.<\/p>\n

Over 50 human rights and civil liberties groups, nearly 100 law professors and security experts, and lawmakers have launched a campaign against digital searches at the US border.<\/p>\n

An open letter condemns recent comments by Homeland Security secretary John Kelly in which he proposed requiring selected non-citizens entering the US to provide the passwords to their social media accounts.<\/p>\n

The letter has been signed by, among others, the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Democracy & Technology, Consumer Technology Association, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Internet Society, as well as a wide range of law professors, internet engineers and security experts, including Bruce Schneier.<\/p>\n

“Demanding passwords or other account credentials without cause will fail to increase the security of US citizens and is a direct assault on fundamental rights,” the letter argues.<\/p>\n

It warns that the approach would not only invade people’s privacy \u2013 including those of US citizens \u2013 but also discourage travel to the United States as well as set a dangerous precedent that would likely see other countries institute similar entry requirements for US citizens.<\/p>\n

“The first rule of online security is simple: Do not share your passwords,” the letter concludes. “No government agency should undermine security, privacy, and other rights with a blanket policy of demanding passwords from individuals.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n