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Lifestyle

The Sex Party fights back against new Customs procedures

Don't like the idea of Customs Officers handling your pornography? Neither do we, and neither do the Australian Sex Party - so here's some nifty luggage tags...

The new powers of the Australian Customs service to ask travellers if they are carrying pornographic material, and the following power to search that material, has drawn a lot of condemnation. It certainly caused a spark in our forums, and it's inspired the Australian Sex Party to release a revealing range of luggage tags so you can show your disgust.

All you need to do is download and print out the range of tags, but... be warned. There are images of cartoon sexuality that may offend the delicate!

We just think they're seven kinds of awesome, and we'll be using them on our upcoming return trip from E3. Join the fight against this invasion of privacy on your next trip OS!

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13 Comments

pablo Jun 2, 2010 6:11 PM	Guy's, don't get mislead by the Sex party, these are not new powers of search! They have been in place for decades (See Sections 186A, 195 of the customs act and 4a of the customs import regulations). The Sex party have NOT researched their statements, the only thing that has changed is a simplification of question 1 on the incoming passenger card. Why because it was written in a more "legalese" manner which people entering from countries where english is not a first language found hard to understand. The customs act works as federal law where X rated material is permitted (within reason that is, hence all the nice little video stores in the ACT;-). What is being looked for is objectionable material (aka beastiality and kiddie porn for example), the majority of the mainstream stuff is ok. So in summary - the only change that has occured is wording on a card, the laws have always been there!!!! Don't stress guys and please don't over-react to something said by people who may not have researched it themselves. Thanks Pablo
boltronics Jun 2, 2010 8:35 PM	Pablo, you're a moron. Customs have no business asking that. If they are really looking for bestiality and kiddie porn, then the form should say exactly that. Further, the whole idea is retarded. Anyone carrying that stuff with them will just tick no, and bring it in on an encrypted hard drive and "forget" their password (not that customs would ever find it). Or better yet, upload it to Google Docs or some other SaaS means, bypassing customs altogether. The changes will accomplish nothing, except to serve only to piss people off and make Australia look even more backwards and ridiculous than it is already.
pablo Jun 2, 2010 10:08 PM	Bolt, they do have the 'business' of asking that (as well as the legal authority) and so do most other nations (NZ as well boys and girls). It is a real shame that you feel that way, I don't and that is why I will continue to catch people dealing in images like that. Also Bolt, before attacking people personally, I would make sure that I have 'researched' what I am talking about so as not to make a fool of myself. Legislation is a very complex thing and is not just limited to the few examples I have listed above. Pablo
pablo Jun 2, 2010 10:44 PM	PS: Bolt, I would like to congratulate you, in all my years posting on atomic, your my first flame response. I'm honoured!
[Di]Foxhound Jun 3, 2010 7:33 PM	wait pablo, talk me through this; you're returning to Australia after having been abroad, with some perfectly normal pornography on your laptop, you see "Are you bringing any pornography?" will you be ticking "yes" or "no"?
pablo Jun 3, 2010 7:58 PM	Tick yes. If you tick no and you are found with it, you can be done for a completely unrelated offence of making a false statement. Tip for travellers, if unsure tick yes. The incoming passenger card is a legal document.....
[Di]Foxhound Jun 3, 2010 8:40 PM	So then you'd be happy for customs to come up to you, while you're with your family and ask to have a look at your porn?
pablo Jun 3, 2010 9:03 PM	Yes, because A: If I am travelling with my family, why would I be carrying any? B: they shouldn't have to ask me, as I would have already declared it on the question on the incoming passenger card....
deonast Jun 3, 2010 9:34 PM	Hold on if you tick Yes, then they are for sure going to want to check and make sure it isn't the nasty child or other porn they are checking for. When they do this check do they take you aside to somewhere else to avoid public embarrassment?
[Di]Foxhound Jun 3, 2010 9:48 PM	And the contents of your laptop are totally different to the contents of your suitcase. 1: Data on a laptop is not physical. It is data. If you want to get illegal data into the country, it's as simple as emailing or P2P. having Customs check my laptop will in no way impact the importing of illegal data into the country. 2: My suitcase is a box of things I have consciously decided that I am bringing with me for the trip. The contents of my hard drive is not a conscious decision, it's just what I've accumulated over the years of owning my laptop. 3: Physical things like weapons, flammables, drugs and objects which could possibly contain foreign insects are the kind of things that customs should be checking for, because they can have a dramatic affect on other people or the country they're going into. The data on my hard drive is of no direct threat to anyone, so why is customs caring about this? Also; another important topic. Say you and your spouse are away on holiday and feeling adventurous. You film yourselves making love. Is this porn? yes, technically. Do you want a customs officer looking at you and your spouse having sex?
pablo Jun 4, 2010 9:17 AM	[Di], sorry mate, data is considered goods being imported/exported over the border and is subject to inspection. This is a fact of law. You say that data has no effect on people, well yes it does. I have been directly involved in matters where children have been saved from situations discovered through data on laptops, I think that is a pretty direct effect, don't you?? Yes you are right, people can use the internet to send stuff of that nature but policing that falls under the purview of other agencies. Customs are not responsible for insects and related biological items, that is AQIS. Customs is also not responsible for preventing flammable goods from being carried on aircraft, that falls under the department of infrastucture (formally called DOTARS). Guys, let me just go back to my original point for clarity, the laws have not changed. These powers of inspection of electronic media have been in place for a long time and have been tested in all levels of the legal system. Only the wording on a card to simplify understanding has been ammended. Deonast, just to answer your query, the officer you declare it to will just ask you a couple of questions first off, unless your answers start ringing alarm bells you will be fine to keep going. Guys, I am going to offline for a few days, so if you want to chat to me some more on this PM me and I will try to get back to you sometime next week.
sladeXS Jul 1, 2010 6:09 AM	pablo, if unsure click yes?... what person is gonna NOT know if they have a ton of porn on them...
h4ppytulip Aug 22, 2010 6:57 PM	Pablo, up until now, i have not noticed any questions on my entry card -specifying- my requirement to declare 'pornography'. Any change to that document, is exactly that, a change. As we agree its a legal document, any alteration to the wording on that document should be considered serious and it should be subject to the kind of scrutiny afforded any piece of altered legislation, which is exactly what i believe the sex party is doing. Whether or not you believe that it is strange that married couples would have pornography on their laptops, which you implied above, only serves to highlight the argument that this alteration should be examined as to wether or not it is of a bias nature and in my opinion your comment justifies peoples right to question exactly these kinds of changes in any legislation. Im sure if procedures were altered that allowed for your children or yourself to be blood tested for drugs you 'may have taken' or chest X-Rayed for TB every time you came from a country deemed questionable that you may not have such a 'those are the rules' approach, and may appreciate the changes being questioned by politicians as to their appropriateness.

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