Haduken

Could they search more things at airports?

by: Ross

The Ninth Circuit Appeals court ruled that border officials have the right to search your laptop without a warrant. As Ars Technica points out, this is not an especially radical ruling, although it sure feels crappy. They can already rummage through your luggage without a warrant. Yet there is definitely a difference between searching through your personal information and your personal property. There could be sensitive information stored on your laptop, especially if you work for, or contract with the government.

I’m sure some of you have thoughts on this?

Comments.

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  1. i mean, they don’t need a warrant because you are submitting to a search “voluntarily.” you just don’t have a choice about volunteering, unless you never get on a plane or leave the country.

    also, if you are carrying the gvmt’s sensitive info around on your laptop, then you are in serious trouble anyways. especially overseas. yikes!

    this is why i never bring my laptop with me when i travel by non-car. too much hassle.

    — midas | @

  2. what is the neccessity of searching through the info on your laptop to national security? I mean, it’s great that they found another kiddie perv, but he’s not exactly selling state secrets or plotting the next WTC bombing. As far as checking your laptop at the border crossings, isn’t it enough to make sure it works as a laptop and not, say, a bomb?

    — RVAkid | @

  3. Wait, is this only for borders, or any plane flight?

    That’s annoying. I always take my laptop places.

    — RMSzero | @

  4. It is only borders I think?

    — MaxPower | @

  5. If you are on official government travel you can get a diplomatic bag for your laptop and the legal documents that say they can’t search it.

    — nic | @

  6. Well that is good I guess, I mean you don’t want random Joe Bob down at the terminal peeking at government secrets.

    — MaxPower | @

  7. It is good, the down side is when you are trying to be covert about your travel. Which would be the case if you were headed to just about any eastern european nation and similar places where they don’t have very favorable views of americans. Flashing some papers and then walking through unsearched is a sure way to get yourself put under surveillance. Not to mention that not all countries honor the diplomatic bag rules

    — nic | @

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