Travellers to be searched for porn

Australian customs officers have been given new powers to search incoming travellers' laptops and mobile phones for pornography, a spokeswoman for the Australian sex industry says.

Fiona Patten, president of the Australian Sex Party, is demanding an inquiry into why a new question appears on Incoming Passenger Cards asking people if they are carrying "pornography".

Patten said officials now had an unfettered right to examine travellers' electronic devices, marking the beginning of a new era of official investigation into people's private lives. She questioned whether it was appropriate to search people for legal R18+ and X18+ material.

Asher Moses' article

So now they want their filter nonsense at the airport. What is it with these people. Who cares if people have normal porn on their laptops.

Twitter jokes on trial: how one tweet turned a man into a criminal

Chambers was referring to the fact that the airport was closed due to a snowstorm. He was flying out the next week from Doncaster, England to visit his girlfriend in Ireland and was anxious his flight would be canceled. He did what is a very common thing in the age of social media - he put his thoughts out there for people to read. He assumed what he said would be seen only by his followers, sort of like talking in a room full of friends. But days later, the tweet was found by airport manager Shaun Duffield who told the court yesterday that the threat was not considered to be credible and no effect on airport operations.

Link:

How do people like this get to stay judges. Had to have twitter explained to him!? A tweet constitutes a credible threat to an airport? Stephen Fry is paying his fines but he has a criminal record now which means he can't become an accountant.

This has probably turned the tweeter from a mild mannered future accountant into a civil liberties crusader. Welcome to the fight, Mr Chambers.