Many years ago, I subscribed to a magazine dedicated to the Linux operating system. They ran a range of articles from beginner introductions to various applications, to in-depth reports on kernel development.
There was typically a social commentary or op-ed article in each issue, discussing some political or philosophical idea relating to open source. Nothing subversive or nefarious, mind you. They were typically discussion of the potential positive impacts open-source philosophy had or can have on democracy, personal freedom etc..., and though there were certainly differing opinions from one writer to the next, I don't recall any being anti-establishment, nor was there a particularly noticeable overall political leaning. A variety of usually well-reasoned, thoughtful articles.
At some point a few years after the events of 9/11, and the resulting rise of the surveillance state, one or more fearful voices in positions of some degree of power sounded the alarm that Linux was a threat to security, that Linux users were extremists, a danger to democracy and order.
And so, the powers that be implemented surveillance mechanisms targeting various parts of the Linux community, focusing on proponents of privacy.
It was around this time (unaware of the above events, personally), that I became aware of a curious trend. Whenever I traveled for work, I could count on being "randomly" selected for additional security searches or questions at the airport. It happened on every trip, both on outbound and return flights, with very few exceptions. At that time, I had a colleague who had dealt
A couple years later, I received an email from staff members of the Linux magazine I subscribed to informing me their office had been raided by officials from a government intelligence agency, and their subscribers list collected. They claimed to be sending the notice in violation of a gag order, to warn their subscribers that their names had most likely been added to a security watch list.
I really should have preserved that email. Unfortunately, I didn't copy it out of outlook and the outlook data became corrupted. I lost several years of emails (backups- you don't need them until you need them...).
I didn't really give it much thought at that time, in all fairness. The frequency of "random searches" suddenly made more sense, and while it is an inconvenience, as a law-abiding citizen, I have nothing to hide, so... not a big deal, right?
I went for about a decade with no travel for work, and had thus mostly forgotten about it, until a trip to Costa Rica last year with my son, for his Spanish class (we were both "randomly selected."). A few weeks ago, I had a business trip to the UK. I was pulled aside at security for an additional search of my luggage, then I was called to the desk at the gate for additional questioning. I was randomly selected for additional scrutiny a third time on my return flight.
Again, an annoyance, an inconvenience, but nothing world-ending.
However, I was recently asked about making a trip to one or more of our facilities in China. Given the unusual relationship between China and the US, I expressed concern about this, and suggested the company might want to use their resources to explore the potential implication for me.
I don't know if they have done anything yet, but my own research suggests I could be detained, and possibly imprisoned for up to 40 days, without formal charges, on suspicion of criminal activity.
So, while I may have nothing to hide, I do have something to fear.
A sweeping decision by some unknown, fearful person in a position of political power nearly two decades ago is carrying potential, lasting consequences for me - for my career.
Next time you hear some fringe lunatic ranting about the erosion of privacy and government overreach, and you are inclined to think "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear," remember this little anecdote of mine.
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