U.S. Border Agents Seizing Laptops, Phones and Copying Info [View All]

The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/06/AR2008020604763_pf.html ) reports that federal agents at U.S. borders have been seizing and copying the contents of some travellers' laptops, cellphones, and other electronic devices.

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (http://www.acte.org ) has tracked complaints from members whose laptops were seized without warrants and without any crime ever being charged. The laptops were usually returned days later, but one member's laptop has yet to be returned after more than a year.

At least two global corporations have directed their executives not to carry confidential business material on laptops overseas. One law firm has instructed its lawyers crossing U.S. borders to carry only "blank laptops," preferring the risks of having their docs hacked while accessing them over the internet to the risks of government search and seizure.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (http://www.eff.org/ ) and other organizations plan to sue to force the government to disclose its policies on border searches, including which rules govern the seizing and copying of the contents of electronic devices.

(Someone else posted this a couple of days ago but it apparently got lost in the noise; if you agree it's worth being aware of, pls K&R.)