Melbourne:
Australian sex industry has sought an inquiry into the new powers of customs officers to
examine and search incoming travellers' laptops and mobile phones for pornographic material.
President of Australian Sex Party Fiona Patten has sought 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 travelers' 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.
"Is it fair that customs officers rummage through someone's luggage and pull out a legal men's magazine or a lesbian journal in front of their children or their mother-in-law?" she said.
"If you and your partner have filmed or photographed yourselves making love in an exotic destination or even taking a bath, you will have to answer 'Yes' to the question or you
will be breaking the law," she was quoted as saying by AAP report.
However, Customs authorities could not make any comment on the new development as claimed by Patten. However, it is understood that the "pornography" question has appeared on Incoming Passenger 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. Colin Jacobs, chairman of the lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the change appeared to have sneaked under the radar "without any public consultation about the massive privacy issues".
"It's hard to fathom what the pressing concern could be that requires Australia to quiz every entrant to the country on their pornography habits, as if visitors would be aware of the nuances of the Australian classification scheme," he said.
"If this results in Customs trawling through more private information on laptops searching for contraband, I would say the solution is way worse than the problem." Patten said if the question was designed to stop child pornography being smuggled into the country then the question should have been asked about "child pornography", without encompassing regular porn. Hetty Johnson, chief executive of child protection group Bravehearts, agreed with Patten that the question was too broad. "If it said child porn I'd be 100 per cent behind it - if you're carrying child pornography then you deserve everything you get," she said in a phone interview.
examine and search incoming travellers' laptops and mobile phones for pornographic material.
President of Australian Sex Party Fiona Patten has sought 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 travelers' 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.
"Is it fair that customs officers rummage through someone's luggage and pull out a legal men's magazine or a lesbian journal in front of their children or their mother-in-law?" she said.
"If you and your partner have filmed or photographed yourselves making love in an exotic destination or even taking a bath, you will have to answer 'Yes' to the question or you
will be breaking the law," she was quoted as saying by AAP report.
However, Customs authorities could not make any comment on the new development as claimed by Patten. However, it is understood that the "pornography" question has appeared on Incoming Passenger 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. Colin Jacobs, chairman of the lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the change appeared to have sneaked under the radar "without any public consultation about the massive privacy issues".
"It's hard to fathom what the pressing concern could be that requires Australia to quiz every entrant to the country on their pornography habits, as if visitors would be aware of the nuances of the Australian classification scheme," he said.
"If this results in Customs trawling through more private information on laptops searching for contraband, I would say the solution is way worse than the problem." Patten said if the question was designed to stop child pornography being smuggled into the country then the question should have been asked about "child pornography", without encompassing regular porn. Hetty Johnson, chief executive of child protection group Bravehearts, agreed with Patten that the question was too broad. "If it said child porn I'd be 100 per cent behind it - if you're carrying child pornography then you deserve everything you get," she said in a phone interview.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
