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Comment by lb1lf | Hacker News Reader

Question: what would happen if you are asked to unlock your device and you refuse on the grounds that it contains classified material?

Presumably they wouldn't just shrug and say 'OK, then' - but neither could they (if the classifying authority was one they cared about - say, NATO) just say 'Tough luck, now unlock it!', right?

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Tough luck: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/13/us/citizen-nasa-engineer-d...

You would need appropriate credentials and material/systems would have to be marked appropriately. I would think saying 'phone contains classified material' and then not having documentation really just gives them probable cause to get really nasty.

It seems like that would only work if you actually have the appropriate security clearance. And they're probably OK with letting people with clearances get through with less screening.

-You'd obviously need to be able to provide proof of your clearance* (though I suppose your passport and a database lookup would do) - but I wonder what would be the next step then; getting hold of an official with the required clearance to match the documents in your laptop? (Which, in the case of higher/compartmentalised clearances may not even be possible)

At some point you just need to start trusting people.

*) I wouldn't recommend leaving docs leaked by Ed Snowden on the laptop just to be able to rightfully claim there's classified material on it...

If you do have classified material about which the USA has an interest in protecting you'll probably be on a G-* or NATO visa. Rather different entry experience.

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