This is a public service warning. A few weeks ago, as I was clearing customs in Ottawa, on my way into Canada, the customs guys decided that they needed to search my stuff. No problem.

Then they decided to search my computer… the inside of it… the part with all the files. I was shocked. I had never heard of this before. But not only do they have the right to do it, they apparently have the interest.

They told me that they were looking for prohibited material, which include “hate materials” and “child pornography”. If I refused to provide them with the necessary passwords, they told me they would simply sieze all my equipment. So, I complied. (Not before some grumpy sputtering on my part, which they interpreted not as surprise and dismay at an unexpected personal invasion, but a non-verbal admission that I was a child pornographer)

The thing is, I travel with 300 gigabytes of disk space, which includes 7 or 8 complete virtual computers that comprise a travelling test lab, plus backups. I must have millions of files. Furthermore, it quickly became apparent that the frowny customs guys didn’t know very much about computers. They seemed to think that any file with an extension not mapped to an application is “inaccessible” and therefore suspicious. After two hours of plinking away at my system, speaking in hushed French, they announced that they were turning my equipment over to a forensic team for examination.

During this process I was not allowed to make phone calls, nor would they call my wife for me to tell her I wasn’t dead. I wasn’t allowed to write in my notebook. I asked for a document that might tell me what this process was and what my rights and responsibilities were, but they didn’t have anything detailed to show me. The only thing they did have was simply a brochure that mentioned the possibility of being searched. No help, there.

I called the American Consulate, later on, and was told that these searches seemed to be the “flavor of the year” and that it probably was not a personal attack against me. The consular official was friendly and I appreciated hearing a cheerful American voice in the midst of a suddenly hostile Canadian wilderness.

I thought Canadians were our buddies, but it seems to be harder to get into Canada than any other country I’ve tried– including Israel. Canada, you break my heart.

The next day, I had to come back to the airport to discover my fate. At that time I was told that no bad things were discovered on my computer. I guess that means I’m certified free of child pornography by the Canadian government.

So, beware what equipment and data you bring into Canada. It could be searched for any reason. They told me they searched me because they had “probable cause”. They didn’t tell me what that cause was.

Also, I’m told that the American customs people do this, too. But maybe because I’m American I haven’t been subjected to it.

Full Disclosure

Because I had been hassled before about coming to Canada on business, I decided to say, not that I was coming to teach a testing class, but that I was on a personal visit. This turned out to be a bad idea. My best guess at their “probable cause” was that I looked like a business traveller (because I travel with a lot of equipment), yet declared as a tourist. Maybe also because I have a beard. (Somebody with a beard was evil once. I saw it on the television.)

A Canadian work permit is not required for the kind of thing that I do, so I thought it would be no big deal to say that I wasn’t there on business at all. Turns out it is a big deal. Half way through the big search I decided to come clean and tell the whole truth. When I’m in a powerless position, I find that truth and charm help me get into the heads of my oppressors and make them love me. It’s like the Jedi mind trick.

Naturally, after that, they claimed that they had initiated the search because I lied to them. My charm offensive precluded me from pointing out that they must have psychic powers, since they initiated the search long before I revealed the whole truth. You can’t make someone love you while explaining how they suffer from a hindsight bias.

Now, I’m not saying that any of this treatment was unfair to me (except the not letting my wife know part). No. Canada has a perfect right to do what it’s doing. In fact, as a white male American, I kind of like the karmic balance that comes with getting hassled. Now I have a story to tell when a non-American complains about how bad my own country’s customs process is.

Here is what I’m saying:

1. Beware the equipment and data you take into Canada. (I will never bring a computer again.) It isn’t just that they are searching you, it’s that they might inadvertantly delete or corrupt files as they rummage through them.
2. Always tell the whole truth to customs people. That way when you blog about them, you can afford to be more indignant.
3. When you’re in customs trouble, be charming. Smile. Wish the best for your captors and their families.
4. Customs people don’t necessarily realize or appreciate that you don’t understand customs procedures and laws. They think everyone does. They think we all have reviewed Document D9-1-15: Revenue Canada’s Interpretative Policy for the Administration of Tariff Item 9899.00.00 - Hate Propaganda, Treason and Sedition which clearly implies (though does not specifically state) that your computer might be searched.
5. If you’re coming to Canada from the U.S. to teach a short class, the right way to arrive is with a document from your client describing your gig and giving the times and dates. A customs official will go over it and ask you a lot of questions, but then he’ll let you into his country.
6. If you are a customs official, I respectfully request that you create an informative brochure entitled “So, You’re Being Searched.” which lays out the relevant laws and procedures and expectations. It would sure help people calm down during the process, and that’s what you want, eh?
7. If you are a customs official, I also request that some way be found to alert one’s family that one is not dead. Some people have loved ones who go bananas when they disappear. My wife is like that. Are you married? Can you imagine? Besides, there are only so many times you can use the “kidnapped by a foreign power” excuse before she starts getting suspicious.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2005 at 9:21 pm and is filed under Software Testing and Quality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.