your rights are being taken away

first the internet filter ... what a waste of cash and time.
and now this

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/travellers-to-be-searched-for-porn-20100520-vh09.html

some highlights

The "pornography" question has appeared on the cards since September last year. The change was only spotted by Patten earlier this month and it had received little to no coverage in the media.

I mean, how does a country like ours, suddenly make it illegal to own porn ?

Australian customs officers have been given new powers to search incoming travellers' laptops and mobile phones for pornography

I love snapping my wife at the "wrong" moments... it brings me great joy and frankly I think my wife likes it when I do it too.

Now if I do it, I must delete them before coming back into the country.

the same story here too
http://gnews.com/world/aussie-rules-changed-to-let-customs-search-for-porn-3520612409.html but it was posted 2 hours ago

Fiona Pattern from www.sexparty.org.au/ has asked...

The Australian Sex Party is demanding an enquiry into why a new question has appeared on Incoming Passenger Cards at the Customs point of entry into Australia. The new question asks if they are carrying any ‘pornography’.

The SMH mirrors what has already been covered. here http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/travellers-to-be-searched-for-porn-20100520-vh09.html

I do not see any statement claiming that this is about child porn except from the different stories that that talk about numbers of incidents that CUSTOMS has found.

News.com.au just makes a humorous remark that is not a humorous remark

COMING home from Amsterdam?

You had best declare those photos of the red light district and delete that lurid text message you accidentally left on your phone.

All of these media houses say the same thing and beat around the edges. They don't say much other than the same thing.

Getting to child pornography and the common persons civil rights are getting a bit thin here in Australia, firstly to reach our attentions is the INTENET FILTER that might work for 10 minutes once it is installed and running, but in essence makes us all guilty by association as they are blanket banning plenty of sites that might be deemed undesirable by a priest (for example).

I am no priest but there are some things I just do not look for and that is child porn. I have kids. It is neither a problem in this house nor an issue. However i am aware of creepy men in trench coats hanging around in the school yard and watching my kid for example. The filter is supposed to help with that . I guess not! education is the key here, not banning sites on the net.

The internet filter is a very big invasion of our rights.

This Customs porn filter is also a bit heavy handed and in the wrong direction. having a pic of my wife's awesome cleavage is illegal if I return to Australia from a trip out of Australia. How does this compare to child pornography which is the reason why CUSTOMS AGENTS have been given the right to search for your porn in the first place. if it is anything else IT IS JUST WRONG.

The Australian goes out and calls miners pedophiles, or am I reading that wrong?
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/customs-alarmed-by-child-porn-rise/story-e6frg6no-1225696957022

RECORD amounts of child pornography are being seized at Australia's borders, much of it brought in by overseas students and foreign workers employed in remote mining areas.

The rise in child pornography detections has authorities so alarmed that the Australian Customs Service has begun an education campaign aimed at warning remote area workers of the penalties for anyone caught with the images.

Customs national manager for investigations Richard Janeczko said Customs had detected a major increase in the amount of child pornography stored on electronic media devices such as laptops, thumbdrives and iPhones.

This financial year alone, Customs has initiated 65 child pornography investigations, a figure on track to exceed last year's total of 86, Mr Janeczko said.

That compared with just 39 investigations in 2006-07.

The maximum penalty for anyone caught with child pornography is a $275,000 fine and-or 10 years' jail.

There really needs to be some sort of qualifier placed on that customs cards and then some explaination of why we are blanket guilty?
Wake up Australia. We are standing in our own shit.