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ACLU: Searches of laptops and cell phones pose privacy threat
Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit show that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents searched over 1,500 electronic devices belonging to international travelers in airports and at the U.S. border over a period of nine months. Under the current policy, agents were not required to justify these searches. The documents include complaints by travelers that CBP agents embarrassed and inconvenienced them by baselessly accusing them of wrongdoing and intrusively reviewing their personal files.
"These documents show that the constitutional rights of thousands of travelers were put at risk and violated by the CBP's policy," said Catherine Crump, staff attorney with the ACLU First Amendment Working Group. "The CBP's ability to take and view the personal files of anyone passing through U.S. borders without any suspicion not only presents an inconvenience to travelers, but also fails to protect sensitive personal information that is commonly stored in laptops and cell phones. Fundamental constitutional problems with this policy exist, and must be addressed."