U.S. Authorities Can Now Seize Laptops Arbitrarily, Indefinitely
This rule extends to your cell phone, Kindle, MP3 player, or any other information storing device you've taken along for the trip (even paper!). Agents can also make copies of any (or all) of your data to share with any other Federal agency -- though they promise to delete it when they're through.
It was just over a month ago that everyone was up in arms about laptop searching at borders, and now this? We certainly hope that this particular infringement of our digital liberties won't last long for long. [Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pheer6224 @ Aug 1st 2008 11:52AM
Well, there goes all rationale for me to live in the US.
McBain @ Sep 21st 2008 7:32PM
..GOOD, don't want you and your ilk here...stay where you are and keep away
brownpau @ Aug 1st 2008 12:03PM
Center for American Progress Action Fund has a 'Take Action' site for this, with a petition to CBP to conduct and publish a privacy impact assessment: http://handsoffmylaptop.org/
And of course, write your member of Congress, etc.
RBaugh @ Aug 1st 2008 12:34PM
If you don't want it to last, WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS! That's what I will be doing. This is a major infringement on our rights. and it can be stopped by an act of congress.
Peter @ Aug 1st 2008 1:03PM
Hmmm did I miss the memo about the US being a dictatorship?
You expect this kind of crap in North Korea, China Cuba not the good old US of A.
We are fighting to BS wars to insure others have rights, yet we continue to take rights away from our own people...thansk GW
Sin D Fetish @ Aug 1st 2008 2:01PM
Re: RBaugh...its too late, not enough people give a damn. It's a shame but the US is getting less and less free everyday....the govt wont stop doing thid...until maybe Jan 22 'o8 or so.....vote for change folks!
Cheryl @ Aug 1st 2008 2:38PM
Everyone still needs to write those letters demanding it be changed, if we don't, it won't stop. Let them know we are paying attention and it is not acceptable. Thinking it is too late or that there is nothing we can do is apathetic and exactly what they want us to do. Stand up for our rights people, before they take them all away and insert little chips in us!
bigshot ownage @ Aug 1st 2008 3:00PM
Before u know it u will not be allowed to leave your home without a govt document stating so.This is one more way to whore out our freedom. If the govt would worry about things that matter like education, housing, food cost
to name a few. They wouldnt be so busy trying to pick a part the soul of freedom. Freedom much like I will parish from this earth in do time.
drbdes @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:35AM
regarding we cannot leave without a govt document?
we are already deep in that state
we must have an ID
a passport
drivers license
credit card
social security
insurance for car
tags for car
medical insurance card
credit card, in case one gets mugged, and cannot pay with cash
or vice versa
and many other ways
where we cannot live, breathe, walk, talk
move freely
think freeely
write freely
or do anything,
without paying for it
and the govt
keeping a tab
every cell phone call can be and is used
to track one down
trace andreconstruct the movements
bank accounts, and money transactions used to track down activity
every time we flush they can find out
every time we turn on a light
the srteet cameras
can keep millions of photographs, in file
and any combination, used to suspect, arrest, even kill[claim it was purely accidental]
crs record all driving activities
when one flies ,by air
all external and internal organs are checked,
touched, fondled,
x rays[items in search stolen, and never replaced,ask any trveller, what is lost and how it can never be recovered]
all are finger printed
eye scans are common
DNA taken at will or any politically elected judge will force it out of people
always its for our protection
TV was about to be used to watch us 2 ways
medical information to be carried withus,
and checked, copied, distorted, disseminated at will
genes tested to identify and warn people not to insure, so that
the people cannot get insurance,as it maybedeemed too risky.
only insure the young, very healthy
make money
exclude any risk, and it is done legally
we can cut the taxes by refusing to renew
and force some to expire
reduce law enforcement,so that most, if not all laws are renderd redundant
try to enforce laws, from old days
that protect our freedom
the human should have his/her home, car, personal information
as totally private
not to be released
for any purpose
not under any pressure,and not before or during any information gathering[then it is too late,even if it means miscarriage of justice or allow unjust laws , not to be applied]
make a list of unjust laws
force candidates
to agree to enforce
and if they fail after 90 days in power
automatically recall them
and let the lext onetake over
and repeat the process[broken promises, lose the power, lose benefits, gets automatically recalled]
just like service
if its bad
the tip is denied
or payment refused
Michael @ Aug 1st 2008 3:01PM
My concern with that policy is not only these technologies mentioned in the article. It would include portable teledevices for the deaf. It could include possibly electronic devices that would assist the blind and other handicapped people. I admit that I am deaf. Out of the Bible, "Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD" --Leviticus 19:14 Originally, it was part of the Law given by God through Moses to the Jews at Mount Sinai. We and God know that the deaf and the blind are part of the diversity of handicaps. There is a principle in terms of treating the handicapped not only the deaf or the blind or deaf and blind, I think. For those who does not know what a TDD is, it is something like a keyboard with a small screen that a deaf person can use a regular telephone with or use the existing telephone lines. Anyway, should an agent seize the electronic device used by handicapped people, it could make their lives more difficult.
pissed @ Aug 1st 2008 4:04PM
Watch the first Matrix movie and wake up!
Erectile Dysfunction @ Aug 1st 2008 5:03PM
Thats so absurd, I'm outraged that they can confiscate your $1000+ electronic device without explanation.
pecnj @ Aug 1st 2008 8:30PM
Looks like I'm going to FedEx myself my laptop disk drives,
cell phone memory, and flash memory before heading home.
charles patterson @ Aug 2nd 2008 1:24PM
wake up bigshot ownage u already have too have govt id ie ( id cards and driver license ) its only going too get worse until we wake up and tell these jerks they work for us ie (we the people)
nic @ Aug 2nd 2008 5:40PM
guess what. the minute everyone decided it was ok to tell other people what to do in the interest of their health/ security/ etc. ie that you do not own your own bodies- then why would you think you own your 'stuff'?
Frenchy Adams @ Aug 4th 2008 6:13AM
since the Patriot Act was passed,the government can confiscate anything and claim it's for the sake of national security.these are the same tactics used by the Communist.isn't America great!
McBain @ Sep 21st 2008 8:16PM
...bailed your French butt out of 3 wars now and kept you free from the Soviet tyranny for another 50+....there's gratitude for ya...should have let you stay under the Nazis
..oh btw--camembert sucks as a chesse!
XSemperIdem5 @ Aug 19th 2008 5:51PM
What the? This is the first I've heard about "indefinitely keeping electronics" I'm pretty sure nothing gets deleted later, there's data stored here and there. The new form of identity theft. Unless someone is specifically a suspect (probable cause) or there is a warrant, I don't agree with electronic files being searched. With technology changing so quickly, rights to privacy should specifically mention electronic data.
juan @ Sep 27th 2008 12:14AM
This is outrageous. What if information vital for your business is on the laptop? I have lived abroad and take my laptop with me everywhere I go due to the private nature of the information. I dont think I have to worry about the foreign government hassling me, but now the US Homeland Security Department is playing the role of the computer thief.
I hope that this article is overhyped and the Homeland Security boys just need a draconian ruling to protect themselves when they come along a Al Qaeda computer. I think Al Qaeda and the likes will put their information on a flash drive or, even better, send it along by email to a computer already in the USA. Homeland Security has enough problems without exposing itself to lawsuits by innocent citizens who have been victimized by rogue agents of Homeland Security.