Borders Patrolled by Google.

While I certainly understand the importance of security, both at our borders and online, it was with more than a little incredulity that I read this story about a noted British Columbia psychotherapist who was denied entry to the United States after a border guard 'Googled' his name.

And it's not like he turned up a rap sheet. No, Andrew Feldmar, in the course of his studies, had experimented with LSD
nearly 40 years ago which, given the times and his profession, would hardly have been uncommon. Having published some of his results in a respected academic journal, Feldmar's admission to past drug use has now turned up online and was grounds for his permanent banishment from the United States. I can just imagine the thick red tape -- the stripes from 'Old Glory', perhaps -- pulled across the border between our two countries.

Post-9/11 particularly, there is very little question we must be vigilant at our borders. While I cannot imagine the personnel staffing them have an easy job to do, one must still exercise a certain degree of common sense. Feldmar had travelled to the United States frequently without issue and the statute of limitations for drug offenses is even generally capped at five years.

Just how much information about us is available online can be startling and a certain amount of savvy and diligence are required to ensure we take necessary precautions. It's not uncommon for schools, employers, friends and others to search online for information that will round out their impression of you and 'Facebooking' someone now seems akin to what 'Googling' them was just a few years ago. Technology can be a fascinating tool, but while the Internet breaks down borders for many, it apparently closes them to others.