Friday, March 06, 2015

Canadian faces $20k fine, jail time for refusing to unlock phone during airport check...

A 38-year old Canadian citizen is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of up to 25,000 Canadian dollars for refusing to unlock his cell and thus “obstructing” an in-depth security screening by the border service officials at the Halifax airport.

Alain Philippon from Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, has been detained and charged with “obstructing border officials” after he refused to provide his BlackBerry phone password to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers upon his arrival from the Dominican Republic this week.

“Philippon refused to divulge the passcode for his cell phone, preventing border services officers from their duties,” the Canada Border Services Agency told AFP.

It was not announced why the Quebecan was selected for an in-depth examination, but the agency says that the Customs Act allows border officials to examine “all goods and conveyances including electronic devices, such as cell phones and laptops.”

 As a result, the man was charged under section 153.1 (b) of the Customs Act. After being let out on bail, and having lost the privilege of using his seized cell phone, Philippon is to appear in court in May to face charges that could see him barred for up to a year and a CAD$25,000 fine. Full story...

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