washingtonpost.com | Travelers’ Laptops May Be Detained At Border (Hat tip, NOLASlate)
Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop computer 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.
“The policies . . . are truly alarming,” said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), who is probing the government’s border search practices. He said he intends to introduce legislation soon that would require reasonable suspicion for border searches, as well as prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin.
If they’re already wiretapping our communications without warrants and still need our physical computers, there is one of four things happening in the hallowed halls of government: a) technological incompetence, b) paranoid schizophrenia, c) extreme police state or d) an alarming combination of all of the above. Small government much, conservatives?
This is all I have to say: If DHS takes my computer when I come back into the country, it is effectively impeding the acquisition of a vital economic product. So there.
And, Russ for president!
WHAT THE —
are you trying to make me have a conniption fit?! lol
They can take my ‘puter if they can pry it from cold dead hands. Hopefully I’ll have time to set the Auto-Destruct Sequence before then.