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Dept. of Homeland Security: We can seize, keep your laptop without cause
The Washington Post had an interesting article yesterday detailing new border search policies that the Department of Homeland Security recently made public.The policies are for two DHS agencies -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- and allow federal agents to seize your laptop computer and other electronic devices -- like iPods, PDAs, hard drives -- take them to an off-site location and keep them for an indeterminate amount of time, the Post reports.
And there doesn't have to be any suspicion of wrongdoing for this to happen. It can be random and arbitrary.
"The most dangerous contraband is often contained in laptop computers and other electronic devices. Searches have uncovered violent jihadist materials as well as images of child pornography," says DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff wrote in a recent Op-Ed for USA Today.
The policies cover "any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form," the Post quotes the DHS.
What's more, the policies give the government the power to share your data across multiple agencies outside the DHS, and even with private entities, for things like translation and data decryption.
The DHS says it is making efforts to protect things like attorney-client privilege and sensitive corporate material. However, as the Post reports, little thought has has been given to protecting everyday people's financial and medical records.
Filed under: Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mark Aug 3rd 2008 4:35AM
these fascists have to follow thw spirit of the bill of rights even at the border, and our courts will soon prove that
jonquil Aug 3rd 2008 8:13AM
just another reason not to travel with anything electronic. buy an anonymous prepaid phone at your destination. scout out public libraries with internet access. fear of hacking by a stranger is less than being hacked by the us government.
Nick Hawkins Aug 3rd 2008 5:55PM
I always like reading articles like this, because it leads to people going "OH NOES POLICE STATE!!!111" You will not be attacked at the border upon arrival, nor will they push you down and grab your electronics and go "TAKE THAT!"
Let's all calm down, take a deep breath, and pull our heads out of our asses and think about this for a second.
Any country has the right to protect what comes in and out of their borders. You know, that whole notion of sovereignty. This is simply an extension of physical searches.
So, how often will this happen to you? Most likely never. Will the goverment care about you and the family coming back from the Bahamas? Nope. And even if they do, they're going to be bored really quickly by photos and videos.