Appeals court upholds border laptop searches

[thewayne]

*sigh*

So I guess the easiest thing to do if you're traveling to another country and returning is to replace your hard drive, fresh install the OS, install the minimum amount of programs and data that you need, and be ready to lose your equipment when you return to the good ol' U.S. of A.

From the article: In dissent, Judge Betty Fletcher wrote that the government should have had a better reason to search Cotterman other than him being a convicted in 1992 of child molestation.

“I add my voice to the chorus lamenting the apparent demise of the Fourth Amendment,” Fletcher wrote.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/04/border-search/

Comments

[moiraj.livejournal.com]

Seriously? They're taking people's laptops? So when I go to the States this year, I should leave my computer behind? (Withdrawal will be certain.)

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

They CAN take your laptop, no guarantee they will. Basically they can inspect them with impunity, and if they want to, seize it for more detailed examination.

I'd do a solid backup, two would be better, then reformat and reinstall your operating system and the minimum of programs and data that you need. Obviously leave anything the least bit questionable behind. With you being a Canuck, I'd expect the chance of yours being searched to be minimal, as compared to someone coming in from Yemen or some place.

I've posted a few things on this: http://thewayne.livejournal.com/tag/laptop%20border%20search