Head for the Border, But Leave Your Laptop at Home

Fri01Aug2008

Head for the Border, But Leave Your Laptop at Home

08:36 H | Topics: Controversia - Tech - Travel

If you are entering the U.S., Department of Homeland Security wants your laptop, and maybe your cellphone, iPods, pager, beepers, video and audio tapes. and "all papers and other written documentation," including books, pamphlets and "written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter.".

According to an article in the Washington Post, there has been a policy in place for some time that authorizes Homeland security to:

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...

The policy applies to all people coming into the U.S., even U.S citizens and is considered part of secondary allegedly random screenings (which never seem all that random to me, by the way).

Civil liberties and business travel groups have pressed the government to disclose its procedures as an increasing number of international travelers have reported that their laptops, cellphones and other digital devices had been taken -- for months, in at least one case -- and their contents examined.
The policies state that officers may "detain" laptops "for a reasonable period of time" to "review and analyze information." This may take place "absent individualized suspicion."...

Reasonable measures must be taken to protect business information and attorney-client privileged material, the policies say, but there is no specific mention of the handling of personal data such as medical and financial records.

When a review is completed and no probable cause exists to keep the information, any copies of the data must be destroyed. Copies sent to non-federal entities must be returned to DHS. But the documents specify that there is no limitation on authorities keeping written notes or reports about the materials.

I'm currently planning a trip out of the country and this gives me pause.

Via / Washington Post