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

[silveradept]

Sounds about right. Will be less of a hassle to do it that way than to go through working with your carrier to get global access and the right kind of SIM card.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

I figure work and family will know I'm going to Europe, I can give them a phone number for true emergencies and email for non-emergencies, and I'll have a local (or quasi-local) phone number for run of the mill needs. I see no need for smart phone capabilities, just buy a pay as you go when you get there.