Laptops may be detained at border

Flint • Aug 4, 2008 9:42 am

Under DHS policy, no suspicion of wrongdoing needed to search devices

By Ellen Nakashima

The Washington Post

updated 11:54 p.m. CT, Thurs., July. 31, 2008

WASHINGTON - Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

...

© 2008 The Washington Post Company

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25960741/

glatt • Aug 4, 2008 9:49 am

So the US government can take my laptop, and give its contents to anyone that it wants to, for any reason or for no reason at all?

Makes me feel safer already.

TheMercenary • Aug 4, 2008 10:34 am

They just want my porn.

lookout123 • Aug 4, 2008 11:47 am

it's obviously discriminatory. they stop more black ones than any other color.

Clodfobble • Aug 4, 2008 12:54 pm

:lol:

[size=1]Sweet, mine is silver, I'm safe...[/size]

Sundae • Aug 4, 2008 12:56 pm

(I bought a white one - and I made sure it didn't have a Muslim name)

Griff • Aug 4, 2008 1:09 pm

glatt;473659 wrote:
So the US government can take my laptop, and give its contents to anyone that it wants to, for any reason or for no reason at all?

Makes me feel safer already.

Hmmm... convenient one-stop shopping for corporate/government espionage. Good think these security monkeys are bribe proof.

Elspode • Aug 4, 2008 10:35 pm

Look for the Bill of Rights to make an appearance as confetti at your next military homecoming celebration.

ZenGum • Aug 5, 2008 1:46 am

Els, someone somewhere is probably going to get an arts grant to do that.

Crimson Ghost • Aug 6, 2008 12:46 am

And, of course, you can trust the feds.

xoxoxoBruce • Aug 6, 2008 1:18 am

As I understand it, this only happens upon entering the country, right?

classicman • Aug 6, 2008 8:58 am

Sure you can take all our secrets, but don't bring any in, NOOOooo.

Perry Winkle • Aug 6, 2008 9:12 am

Great. If they confiscate my equipment when I come home in September you can count on seeing my face on the news.

Tink • Aug 6, 2008 1:55 pm

:rar:

:smashfrea

:corn: